Make Music Day 2021 Returns On Monday, June 21

Music

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May 1, 2021

Make Music Day 2021 Returns On Monday, June 21

Make Music Day, the annual global celebration of music held on the summer solstice, returns this year on June 21 with an exciting, creative and diverse lineup of both virtual and in-person music-making events that will immerse and enthrall participants while spotlighting music’s power to connect, comfort, unite and uplift. Over 90 U.S. cities and the entire states of Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and Wisconsin will take part in the live, free daylong celebration, encompassing over 5,000 concerts, performances, music lessons, jam sessions and other musical events nationwide. Safety protocols will be in place following local requirements, including mask-wearing, social distancing and limited capacities and group sizes.

Completely different from a traditional music festival, Make Music Day celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of age, ethnicity, background or skill level. Make Music Day is an open invitation for everyone to make, enjoy, perform, teach, learn and experience music on the longest day of the year. Due to the pandemic, last year’s celebration was largely virtual, but many in-person events will return in 2021.

Launched in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day has become an international phenomenon, celebrated by hundreds of millions of people in over 1,000 cities in 120 countries. Make Music Day is presented in the U.S. by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance.

One global highlight of Make Music Day 2021 is a musical memorial to the pandemic’s devastation called This Moment in Time. Working with musicians and cultural partners worldwide, massive groups will appear in public spaces on June 21. At noon local time, a celebrated local musician will play the gong for one uninterrupted hour, marking the incalculable loss of the past year. Along with being free and open to a live audience, these performances will be live streamed to makemusicday.org. Afterwards, in many locations the public will be invited to play the gong themselves, hearing the unfathomable mystery of the sound, experiencing the cathartic feeling of hitting something massive, and feeling the deep therapeutic vibrations in their bodies.

Another new international program highlights an exquisite musical instrument that is hidden in plain sight: the leaf. Leaf Music, where a humble tree leaf is blown to create a simple reed instrument, has a long history in China, Cambodia, Australia, Brazil, Japan and Nepal. Leaf Music programs on June 21 will include an International Leaf Symposium over Zoom, a Track Meet where leaf musicians will collaborate sequentially with other musicians to produce new musical tracks, and instructional videos to help anyone turn their local greenery into a symphony of sound.

Other national highlights of Make Music Day 2021 in the U.S. will include:

Flowerpot Music — A new collection of pieces by composer Elliot Cole and directed by percussionist Peter Ferry features an unlikely but beautiful percussion instrument: the flowerpot. People in cities across the U.S. will join together safely to debut “Flowerpot Music: Make Music Day book.”
Junkophonics — Learn how to build and play fun musical instrument that you create from found objects. Participants can get tips from Bash the Trash Environmental Arts performers and educators as well as instrument builder extraordinaire Craig Woodson. Junkophonics Workshops are being held nationwide.
Mass Appeal — People of all ages and skill levels will join together both online and in physically distanced, in-person settings to make music in large, single-instrument groups.
MixMash Studios — Between June 6-20, the public is invited to send in short recordings of bass lines, barking dogs, vocals, machine noises, or anything else they find intriguing. Then, on June 21, selected producers will have 24 hours to create an original piece of music using only those samples provided, and nothing more.
Music Lesson Marathon — Dozens of master musicians curated by Dance Music Initiative, Flight Ukuleles, Hohner Harmonicas, Music Teachers National Association, Nuvo Instruments, and more will offer 12 hours of free, online group lessons on a variety of instruments and across all skill levels. Jump around and experience different instruments, or binge on 12 hours of your favorite.
#MySongIsYourSong — Musicians will join in a global song swap where they’ll learn an original song by another artist, and hear theirs covered in return.
The American Song — Capturing the stories and experiences of ordinary people across the U.S., the Make Music Alliance will pair 50 people — one from each state — with 50 professional songwriters in a diversity of styles. On the morning of June 21, each songwriter will video chat with their partner for an hour. In the afternoon, they will write a song inspired by their conversation. That evening, over a second video chat with their conversation partner, they will give a live private performance of the song they just wrote.
Window Serenades — Musicians nationwide will continue the new Make Music Day tradition of sharing live music with isolated elderly people. Select nursing homes are partnering with local Make Music chapters to invite solo musicians to safely serenade residents from outside their windows.
Young Composers Contest — In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31 – June 1, 1921, composers aged 13-21 are invited to write a song for an overdubbed, a cappella baritone singer, using text from a first-hand account of the massacre by B.C. Franklin, and submit it by May 31st. A panel of distinguished judges, including composers David T. Little and Trevor Weston, composer/conductor Francisco Núñez, and soprano Talise Trevigne, will provide feedback and select three winning pieces, which will be professionally recorded by baritone Christopher Herbert and released online for Make Music Day.

City-specific highlights around the U.S. will include:

Chicago (IL) — Local vocal quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble will present “Journey Song,” an interactive event that celebrates travel during Make Music Day. Utilizing Chicago’s unique byways, the singers will arrive by boat along the Chicago River and disembark in Ping Tom Park, all while performing a program of music inspired by exploration and discovery. The singers’ voices and piano will be amplified throughout the park.
Kansas City (MO) — Make Music Kansas City will debut Musication Station. Inspired by guitarist and sonic scientist Mark Stewart, in collaboration with two local musical instrument manufacturers, they will present a special “No Experience Required Sound Making Event”
Knoxville (TN) — Mailboxes with small speakers inside of them will be placed around a local neighborhood, creating an immersive sound experience for passersby to enjoy.
New York (NY) — “Wake Up! Wake Up! A Choral Tapestry Honoring Our Earth,” which is presented in partnership with Diana Wege/The Earth Requiem Project, will celebrate the Environmental Justice movement through performances by an 18-voice professional choir directed by Malcolm J. Merriweather, readings by Dr. Dorceta E. Taylor, and the visual art works of Wege. It takes place at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in historic Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park.
Philadelphia (PA) — Local musician and Make Music Philadelphia coordinator Vincent James will give 50 music lessons (virtually) to students across the 50 U.S. states beginning June 18 and concluding on Make Music Day.

In the virtual realm, Make Music Day is partnering with Bramble to create interactive spaces where participants can (virtually) walk around and interact with each other freely for concerts, talks, workshops, and social gatherings. And on the makemusicday.org website on June 21, a 12-hour Global Livestream will show highlights of Make Music Day programs as they unfold around the world.

All Make Music Day events are free and open to the public. Participants who wish to perform, or to host musical events, may register at www.makemusicday.org. A full schedule of virtual and in-person events will be posted on the website in early June.

Verve Celebrates Impulse! Records 60th Anniversary With Ray Charles, Gil Evans and More

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May 1, 2021

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Verve Celebrates Impulse! Records 60th Anniversary With Ray Charles, Gil Evans and More

Verve/UMe’s acclaimed audiophile-grade all-analog vinyl reissue series Acoustic Sounds will celebrate the 60^th anniversary of Impulse! Records and its incomparable and influential catalog this year with a series of high-end vinyl releases of some of the orange-and-black label’s most essential titles. The Impulse! 60 series will kick off on May 14 with two of the four releases that launched the label known as The House That Trane Built, in 1961: Ray Charles’ singular and long-out-of-print Genius + Soul = Jazz and Gil Evans Orchestra’s superb Out of the Cool. Charles’ album will also be made available digitally for the first time in years.

The LPs will be mastered in stereo from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, except for Charles which has been mastered by Kevin Gray. All albums will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets, replicating the original Impulse packaging. Like all Acoustic Sounds titles, the releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings, and will utilize the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings.

Throughout the year, the Acoustic Sounds series will feature on average two releases a month of some of the best jazz records ever made, highlighting Impulse’s notable ’60s era recordings as well as key titles from Verve’s vaunted catalog. Following the May releases, the Impulse titles will include Oliver Nelson’s post-bop classic, The Blues And The Abstract Truth (1961) and Sonny Rollins’ first of three albums recorded for Impulse, the electrifying On Impulse! (1965) on June 25 followed by Charles Mingus’ back-to-back masterpieces, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963) and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1964) on August 20.

John Coltrane will be well represented with four titles: the legendary “Live” At The Village Vanguard (1962) and the epic, meditative Crescent (1964) on October 22, followed by his sublime collaborations with big band legend Duke Ellington and singer Johnny Hartman, on the albums Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1963) and John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, respectively, on December 10. Roy Haynes’ adventurous Out Of The Afternoon (1962) will also release that day. Additionally Ellington’s impeccable pairing with Coleman Hawkins on the aptly titled Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (1963) will come on November 19.

The Verve titles will include Bill Evans’ excellent duo of trio platters, Trio 64 (1964) and Trio 65 (1965) on July 30 followed by his elegant live album, At Town Hall, Volume 1 on October 22. Ella Fitzgerald’s enduring Christmas classic Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas will bow on September 10 in time to get folks ready for the holidays and will be succeeded a couple weeks later by her immortal duets albums with Louis Armstrong, Ella & Louis (1956) and Ella & Louis Again (1957) on September 24. Oscar Peterson’s blues and R&B-laden Night Train (1963) and his final Verve effort, We Get Requests (1964), featuring inspired interpretations of some of the era’s popular songs, will hit on November 19, concluding 2021’s Acoustic Sounds series offerings.

Launched in 2020 to provide definitive, audiophile-grade pressings of Verve’s unmatched catalog of classic jazz albums, the Acoustic Sounds series first year of releases, which included Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s Getz/Gilberto, Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson’s Meets Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and Ballads, Nina Simone’s I Put a Spell on You and Pastel Blues, Sarah Vaughan’s Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown and Max Roach’s A Study In Brown, George Russell’s New York, NY and Peggy Lee’s Black Coffee, has been celebrated by music fans and the press alike for exceeding expectations. Of the Nina Simone LPs, vinyl authority Analog Planet exclaimed, “The sound of both of these records is the best that’s been produced from these tapes and both records are well worth owning. Regarding the Coltrane LPs, they raved: “A 100% top to bottom success and is easy to recommend, adding, “everything about these two Coltrane releases from the Stoughton press laminated tip-on jackets to the outstanding mastering and pressing exudes the highest quality experience offered by all-analog records.” Paste meanwhile declared, “the mastering engineers at AS have achieved some astonishing results. The Armstrong/Peterson collaboration is spotless, with a presence that makes it feel like drummer Louis Bellson is playing in the same room, and a clarity that lets little details and noises from these 60+ year old sessions float to the surface. The groundbreaking collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist/vocalist João Gilberto is perhaps even better. The spell that this album of cool bossa nova casts feels as heady and intoxicating as ever, with guest vocalist Astrud Gilberto popping up throughout to curl around every note like a rich green vine. These are, without question, the definitive pressings of these albums.”

“Impulse! Records has released some of the most important and influential jazz albums of all time. UMe continues to honor the artists and their legacy on Impulse! by expanding their reach to new audiences and continuing to curate this exceptional catalog,” said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. “We are thrilled to celebrate six decades of this iconic American label with best-in-class pressings of some of the label’s most significant and beloved albums as part of our Acoustic Sounds series.”

“As we celebrate Impulse Records’ historic sixth decade in 2021, we wanted to take this opportunity to showcase some of the musical diversity of the label’s catalog through the Acoustic Sounds series, which has quickly become a trusted vinyl range,” said Jamie Krents, EVP of Verve/Impulse! “These titles have been carefully curated with our partners at UMe and Chad Kassem to reflect the variety and iconic nature of what lies in the Impulse canon. We wanted to honor Ray Charles’ Genius + Soul = Jazz, one of the inaugural Impulse releases, which has not been physically available for years, with its finest vinyl rendering ever. Along with flagship titles by cornerstone artists like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane, we also felt it was important to remind fans of Duke Ellington’s brilliant work for the label, and we would have been remiss in not including a classic recording by living Impulse! legend, Roy Haynes. We’re extremely proud to offer what we truly believe are the finest vinyl versions of these recordings to date.”

Chad Kassem, CEO of Analogue Productions: “After reissuing more than 1,000 releases, we’ve built a reputation for producing only the highest quality LPs. We’re proud that Verve selected us for their Acoustic Sounds series and to create these definitive Impulse! records. We started with the very best all-analog audio sources; worked with the top mastering engineers; best jacket manufacturer and used one of the world’s best pressing plants, Quality Record Pressings, resulting in the best pressings of these albums that you’ve ever heard. If you love Verve and Impulse!, as well as the seminal artists and albums the label produced, you’re going to want to add these records to your collection.”

Ryan K. Smith, senior mastering engineer at Sterling Sound: “It’s an honor to work on these iconic Verve and Impulse! albums, cutting each lacquer from analog tapes to produce albums that remain true to the artist’s original vision. I know fans will enjoy listening to these pressings as much as I enjoyed helping to create them.”

One of the albums that immediately thrust Impulse! Records into the limelight when it launched in February 1961, Ray Charles’ Genius + Soul = Jazz saw the legend performing jazz and soul with the backing of a full-scale orchestra made up of members from The Count Basie Band, including Billy Mitchell, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, and Sonny Payne, among others. Produced by Impulse impresario Creed Taylor and recorded at Van Gelder Studios, the album includes hard-blowing arrangements by Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns and features Charles eschewing piano for a churchy-sounding Hammond B3 organ. Mostly composed of instrumental pieces that showcase his virtuoso playing, including the rousing album opener “From The Heart,” Charles delivers his trademark soulful vocals on three tracks, “I’ve Got News For You,” “I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town” and “One Mint Julep,” which spawned Impulse’s first singles, catapulted the record to No. 4 on Billboard’s pop album chart and established Charles as a jazz musician of the highest caliber. As Dick Katz wrote in his original liner notes, “The combination here of rare talent plus uncommon craftsmanship has produced a record that showcases the timeless quality and innate taste that is uniquely that of Ray Charles.”

As uDiscover remarked in a recent retrospective piece, “If one album evokes the style, the ethos, and the vibe of Impulse! among these first four LPs it is Out of the Cool.” Produced once again by Creed Taylor and exquisitely recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in November 1960 and released in February 1961, the Gil Evans Orchestra’s Out Of The Cool was pianist, arranger and bandleader Gil Evans groundbreaking album, following his three classic recordings with Miles Davis, including Sketches Of Spain. Joined by the rhythm section of Charlie Persip and Elvin Jones, bassist Ron Carter and guitarist Ray Crawford and a masterful 10-piece horn section that included Budd Johnson, Jimmy Knepper and Johnny Coles, Evans created a big band masterpiece that saw him exploring greater freedom in his compositions and arrangements and showcased his ability to make a large orchestra sound and act like a much smaller and spontaneous jazz combo. Featuring some of Evan’s finest compositions, the album is bookended with the adventurous and cinematic 15-minute epic, “La Nevada,” and the noirish “Sunken Treasure,” aptly demonstrating his skills as a jazz orchestrator. Nestled in between is the standard, “Where Flamingos Fly,” which beautifully floats on Knepper’s melancholy trombone, the band’s progressive take on Bertolt Brech/Kurt Weill’s “Bilbao Song,” and George Russell‘s dramatic number, “Stratusphunk.” As The Absolute Sound enthused, “Out of the Cool, perhaps even more than his collaborations with Miles Davis, spotlights Gil Evans’ brilliance as a writer and arranger,” adding, “The results are lovely, sometimes cerebral jazz meditations, and the soundstage is expansive, with soloists firmly rooted within; the musicians unfurl ribbons of fabulously layered tone colors, and the recording captures the orchestra’s terrific dynamic range.”

Mastered from the original tapes and produced with the utmost care, the Acoustic Sounds pressings of these classic albums will allow listeners to hear this music better than ever.

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series:

May 14

Ray Charles – Genius + Soul = Jazz (Impulse!, 1961)
Gil Evans Orchestra – Out Of The Cool (Impulse!, 1961)

June 25

Oliver Nelson – The Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!, 1961)
Sonny Rollins – On Impulse! (Impulse!, 1965)

July 30

Bill Evans – Trio 64 (Verve, 1964)
Bill Evans – Trio 65 (Verve, 1965)

August 20

Charles Mingus – The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impulse!, 1963)
Charles Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Impulse!, 1964)

September 10

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas (Verve, 1960)

September 24

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis (Verve, 1956)
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis Again (Verve, 1957)

October 22

Bill Evans – At Town Hall, Volume 1 (Verve, 1966)
John Coltrane – “Live” At The Village Vanguard (Impulse!, 1962)
John Coltrane – Crescent (Impulse!, 1964)

November 19

Duke Ellington & Coleman Hawkins – Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse!, 1963)
Oscar Peterson – Night Train (Verve, 1963)
Oscar Peterson – We Get Requests (Verve, 1964)

December 10

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963)
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse!, 1963)
Roy Haynes – Out Of The Afternoon (Impulse!, 1962)

Top 10 Greatest Footballers to Have Ever Graced the Italian Serie A

Music

Eric Alper

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May 1, 2021

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Italian Serie A is one of the domestic soccer leagues with a considerable following. The league has some great football clubs that have been performing well in European competitions. Many fans have come to love the league because of such a club. In the past and even currently, some exceptional footballers have lit our screens. Read below about some of these greatest football players to have ever played in Serie A.

Paolo Maldini

Paolo is one of the best defenders to have ever played the beautiful game. He started his footballing career at AC Milan and played for the club for over 24 years. His strength was in his high mental ability, and that’s why he was smart in the pitch and rarely making errors. Maldini was also integral for the Italian team in the world cup tournaments. Betting on him through judi bola during that period would have helped you win some cash.

Roberto Baggio

The talented Baggio made him one of Italy’s most celebrated strikers. Due to his sharpness in front of the goal, he scored over 200 goals in Serie A. Baggio played for various Italian clubs, including Fiorentina, Brescia, Inter Milan, and Juventus. He was an all-around natural finisher who could score any goal such as free kicks and won the Ballon d’Or in 1993.

Diego Armando Maradona

The late Diego was an instrumental player for Napoli. He single-handedly helped the club win some trophies during his playing days. Exceptionally gifted, Maradona transformed Napoli into a powerhouse while adorning his Iconic number 1o football shirt. Nicknamed “Elchapo,” the Argentine scored 115 goals out of 259 appearances for Napoli. He later transferred to Barcelona in Spain.

Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon is undisputedly the most maximum goalkeeper to have ever played in Serie A. But starting his footballing career, he was an outfield player. He was later transformed into the goalkeeper that many came to love over the years. Buffon played for Parma and Juventus in the Serie A, where he showcased his skills in organizing and marshaling his defense, leading to few errors.

Francesco Totti

A skilled midfielder who played for Roma his entire football career, he began this profession in 1992 and finally retiring in 2017, having scored 307 goals from 785 games. This record is impressive, highlighting how good a midfielder he was.

Zinedine Zidane

The current Real Madrid FC coach joined Juventus after signing from Bordeaux in France. He won two league titles, with the club was instrumental in establishing Juventus as one of the most feared clubs. Zinedine stayed in Italy for five years and later transferred to Real Madrid for a record fee of 47 million pounds.

Marco Van Basten

He was part of the iconic Ac Milan team of 1990. Marco being a part of a talented group of players helped make the San Siro one of the best teams of those times. Ac Milan had not won the Italian Serie A before his arrival. His goals later helped the team win three titles after that.

Silvio Piola

Piola scored an impressive 274 goals in Serie A during his 25 years career. He is still remembered as he was the top scorer with Lazio twice. In those seasons of 1936-37 and 1942-43, he scored 21 goals.

John Charles

He was a British footballer who played for Juventus. He won three titles and was unique since he was mainly a striker but could also play in defense. John Charles played for both Juventus and Roma in Italy.

Cristiano Ronaldo

He moved from Real Madrid to Juventus for a record transfer fee. Although he has helped the club maintain its dominance in the Italian league, the owners brought him in to help win the champions league. However, this has been elusive so far. Some fans may dispute him appearing on this list, but his massive following has brought to Juventus warrants him a space with the best.

Knowing the greatest players to have ever played in a particular league helps with your judi bola. Strive to know all details related to soccer if you are a gambler.

Why use a white label SEO audit tool

Music

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May 1, 2021

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By Sam

The potential advantages of looking into white label SEO can be very rewarding. In this article, I aim to inform on why white label SEO maybe the way forward, hopefully answering any uncertainties you have surrounding the tool

Why use a white label SEO audit tool

The requirements of a white label SEO audit tool

The SEO process

SEO is in demand for all online businesses. But, what about white label SEO?

Before, we go into depth on white label SEO being an audit tool. We must understand what white label SEO is.

White labelling involves the repackaging of a service under a different brand name to the customer. Under most occasions, the customer is unaware of the origin of the service or the product.

The success of a white labelling may depend on two areas. These areas are:

The service that is being re-packaged
The quality of the service

In this case, SEO is being re-packaged. SEO is in demand and a widely used tool for all online businesses. Therefore, there is a strong chance that a white label SEO audit tool will have a target market.

WIth some services being re-packaged, there is always a chance that you may not be able to get a target market for that service. SEO, is universally recognised as important for online businesses.

The next requirement we have is the quality of the SEO audit tool. Lets explore this.

The requirements of a white label SEO audit tool

If you are looking into white label SEO, you will be either a white label SEO provider or you want to offer a white label SEO audit tool on your site, either as a representative of your business or as a side to your main service.

Whatever demand you have, understanding the fundamental traits of what a consumer expects from an SEO audit tool is going to be vital, to enhance the user experience.

Your SEO audit needs to include an in depth analysis of your customers website. You need to cover the following areas:

Free audit
Easy to use layout
Fast
Offer a variety of SEO tools

If you are a white label SEO provider, then you may benefit from making this service free to use for your customers. This may help you to increase demand and target a wider audience.

Many struggling businesses will be looking into getting a free audit tool of their website. A free audit is the starting block to the SEO process.

You also want to make sure that the audit tool itself and the way it’s being advertised on your site, is easy to use for the user. This means that the user will be able to access and read more on what SEO service you are offering. They need to know exactly what they are getting into.

One requirement that your audit needs to have is speed. When it comes to SEO, speed will increase user satisfaction.

The last point refers to the content of your audit tool. SEO covers a wide range of areas of a website. Consider the below heading.

The SEO process

For white label providers, it would make sense to understand what the SEO process entails, so that you deliver the best service possible.

Here are some of the points to look for:

Keyword research
User experience
Competitor analysis

These three points will be included in on-page and off-page SEO. For a better user experience, make sure to include all the points that come under the terms on-page and off-page SEO.

White labelling works best, when the service is delivered at its most advanced.

Author bio

Sam Edwards is a content writer who lives in Tunbridge Wells. He is working for Kemistri. When he is not writing, he can be found grabbing a coffee or playing guitar.

Calgary Pop Songbird K BESD Embraces “Our Love” with New Single — Available Now!

Music

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Apr 30, 2021

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Calgary Pop Songbird K BESD Embraces “Our Love” with New Single — Available Now!

If Canadian songbird K BESD’s previous single, “TUFF TIMES,” was the call, her latest in “Our Love” is the answer.

Available now, BESD continues to solidify her status as an anthem enthusiast and purveyor of better days, and now she’s back — imploring audiences to stand up with this new, emotionally-charged offering.

Packed with the Calgary-based powerhouse’s vocals, swooping melodies, and motivational lyrics, “Our Love” reminds the listener that regardless of what happens, love will be the lasting foundation you can count on, stand on, shout from, and cling to.

Pop in fashion, and R&B in sultry pockets, “Our Love” carves its charming message in a welcomed ear-worm type of way; packed with plenty of layered vocals, the song also features the sounds of a gospel choir — which lends to the overall vibe of a song about overcoming and relying on love to save the day. The adorable, unexpected twist in the bridge, is the inclusion of the beautiful cameo of a children’s choir and clapping percussion.

“Our Love” offers to take your heart for a walk, and then forces it to explode with emotion. Creating the track, BESD says, “When I started writing this song, I was thinking a lot about what’s going on in the world. Its current state brings out so many emotions in us including fear, which can show up as frustration and anger creating divides in a time (when) we need each other most.

“In addition to this, I was feeling very reflective and thinking about some things I wanted to change in and around me,” she continues. “I considered what had gotten me through my most challenging times thus far…”

It was ‘her people’ that kept her together, she adds, saying: “Your family, whether blood or chosen, and your community are what get you through.”

The song features a variety of artists, and collaborators, many of whom BESD was introduced to through social media. “The entire process has been very special to me,” she reveals. “I’ve never collaborated with this many artists and although I was connected to many via social media, we hadn’t had the opportunity to meet.

“We have Carsten Rubelling on the trombone, Randy Hutchings on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dempsey Bolton on vocals and keyboard. We also have features from a variety of artists including Lyrique, A.Y.E., Rondel Roberts, Transit22, Amy Bishop and more, and the kids at the very end. The compilation gave this song a whole new meaning I never could have imagined.”

The song’s subsequent official music video was shot in Calgary’s history Ramsay area, and features the NVRLND Arts Foundation, where it was recorded and mixed. “Individual video of each artist edited into one highlights our sense of community and togetherness through music,” BESD says.

“Our Love” is available now.

Toronto Folk Group SAMWAYS Tease Their Upcoming Debut with New Single, “The Wind of Death”

Music

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Apr 30, 2021

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Toronto Folk Group SAMWAYS Tease Their Upcoming Debut with New Single, “The Wind of Death”

Don’t let the title fool you… The folk music forecast just got brighter and livelier with the release of “The Wind of Death” from Canadian acoustic quartet, Samways.

The second single to drop ahead of the group’s forthcoming debut album, the song juxtaposes a muscular, driving rhythm and sunny vocal harmonies with the moving poem, “The Wind of Death.” Written by Canadian poet and journalist Ethelwyn Wetherald well over a century ago, the poem touches on the tenuous and reflective last moments of someone’s life.

The wind of death, that softly blows
The last warm petal from the rose
The last dry leaf from off the tree
Tonight, has come to breathe on me

Respectively all known and loved Toronto-based artists in their own rights, lead songwriter, guitarist and composer Nathan Hiltz — and the vocal trio of Shannon Butcher, Jessica Lalonde and Melissa Lauren — have combined their formidable talents to form the creative core of Samways.

As they succinctly put it, they create and perform “acoustic music with lyrics drawn from early Canadian poetry.”

What kinds of acoustic music and poetry? Original folk inspired jazz and the 19th and early 20th century works of famed Canadian poets such as Bliss Carman, Susannah Moodie, E.J. Pratt, Agnes Maule Machar and of course, Ethelwyn Wetherald.

The music for “The Wind of Death” also comes from a mash-up of different worlds…

The song answers a question: What would it sound like if Sonny Greenwich joined the Gordon Lightfoot band? Greenwich, an arch top jazz guitarist from Montréal with a psychedelic, Coltrane-influenced style, and Canadian folk legend Lightfoot, are both big inspirations for Hiltz.

While in his twenties, Hiltz was a jazz purist working at Toronto’s Ring Music, and Lightfoot used to come around to the shop. “I absolutely knew who [Lightfoot] was but had no idea what he sounded like,” Hiltz explains. “All I remember is this badass who parked his big, old-man Cadillac in the no parking zone out front of the store.

“He came in and said ‘I’m Gordon Lightfoot. I’m here to pick up my guitar’.”

Those moments stuck with Hiltz and years later, as his musical tastes opened up, he devoured Lightfoot’s entire discography, citing his beautiful music as a driving force in the creation of Samways.

Unlike the group’s first single “Untrodden Ways,” “The Wind of Death” is more akin to Lightfoot’s “Summer Side of Life” than “Long River.” Now, replace Lightfoot with three powerful female singers and you have Samways’ signature and fully-satisfying sound.

Samways has delighted audiences with their captivating performances at notable, pre-pandemic live showcases such as the Toronto Reference Library’s Winter Concert Series and the Markham Jazz Festival; their homegrown popularity has already risen enough to land the band a recording grant from the Toronto Arts Council.

Florida Funk Rock Four-Piece NIGHTFLY Want to Know “Who’s In” For Their Swingin’ New Single

Music

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Apr 30, 2021

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Florida Funk Rock Four-Piece NIGHTFLY Want to Know “Who’s In” For Their Swingin’ New Single

Funk-rock four-piece Nightfly want to know “Who’s In” when it comes to this, their swingin’ and groove-infused new R&B single.

In layman’s terms, “Who’s In?” is five minutes of straight-up good vibes, and a must-listen for anyone feeling extra stuck inside during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The R&B-inspired track is the latest to land from the Florida-based quartet’s recent three-track EP, But Wait, There’s More (2021). Driven by a jazzy combo of piano licks, bass grooves, and buttery guitar melodies from lead guitarist Whitey Bryan’s beautiful and aged Fender Telecaster (as seen in the music video), the funk doesn’t stop start to finish.

The colourful music video — which was shot mostly from the homes of each member, Dianne Moore, Seth Bernstein, Andre Follot, and Whitey Bryan — includes happy-go-lucky photographs and clips of animals, as well as shots of the band enjoying themselves in just the present day, and before the global pandemic hit.

On the creation of the song, Moore reveals it was inspired by her experience of once being involved in a political movement. “The lyrics can be applied to any situation where people throw themselves into any task, pursuit, work or hobby at the expense of personal relationships and one’s own happiness,” she says.

Bernstein called the writing of the brand-new single “quite organic,” adding that it started with one of Bryan’s blues-inspired guitar riffs and came together like a great recipe. “Whitey came in with this great blues guitar riff, and the words ‘who’s in’ just appeared in mind,” he recalls. “The music followed just as easily for all of us, as well.

“I’ve always been a fan of New Orleans second line, where it’s like a feel-good, travelling dance party, and this felt like the perfect groove.”

With their debut album, Honey Jelly Jam out in 2016, But Wait, There’s More is the four-piece’s official sophomore offering. Having formed back in December of 2012 on the East Coast of central Florida, in the small city of Sebastian, Nightfly started with two simple goals in mind: provide the people with a soulful, funky, rockin’ good time, and do it with a sense of originality vs. rehashing expected clichés.

“Who’s In” and But Wait, There’s More are available now.

MF DOOM’s Isolated Vocals For “DOOMSDAY”

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Apr 30, 2021

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MF DOOM’s Isolated Vocals For “DOOMSDAY”

When I was led to you
I knew you were the one for me
Come through, dig the sound
I swear the whole world could feel you MC

Operation: Doomsday is the debut studio album by rapper MF Doom, marking his return to the hip hop scene after the demise of his group KMD. The album was released through Fondle ‘Em Records on 20 April 1999 and reissued by Sub Verse Records in 2001 with a slightly altered track listing. Operation: Doomsday has been ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, and a deluxe remastered version of the album was released by Doom’s own Metal Face Records on 24 October 2011.

Great panel ahead: Kicking Against It: Ageism & Women In The Music Industry

Music

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Apr 30, 2021

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Great panel ahead: Kicking Against It: Ageism & Women In The Music Industry

The Sled Island Music & Arts Festival and Byta, the platform for sending digital audio files and streams, are proud to present the second in a regular series of free, online conversations about the changing landscape of music called Tête-à-Têtes.

If “rock & roll is a young man’s game,” then where exactly does that leave women over the age of 25? Compounding the myriad of issues relating to sexism in the music industry, there is an added layer of ageism that, to this day, applies wrongfully and exponentially more to women looking to progress their artistic or professional practices than it does to men. The unfair race against time creates very real barriers to women picking up instruments for the first time, experiencing the long-term success and credibility that they could otherwise rightfully earn, and moving into positions of authority within the overall industry to enact change. As a result, we are all, quite simply, missing out.

Three women will discuss the challenges, inspirations and opportunities they see standing before them from both established and new-to-music perspectives alike. Anne Backus had never picked up an instrument before trying to teach herself the drums and ultimately enrolling in the Ladies Rock Camp organized by Girls Rock Camp Atlanta, an experience she considers to be one of the most empowering she’d ever been a part of. Amber Goodwyn is the Artistic Director of the Regina Folk Festival, former Program Director of CJTR, and critically-acclaimed musician (Natural Sympathies, Cobra & Vulture). Gabrielle Rubaine is the Outreach & Development Director of Music Managers Forum Canada, former artist, and important catalyst in diversity initiatives that continue to this day at FACTOR.

Time: May 4, 2021 2:00pmET, and it’s free: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_37HDsjczR0m8mxflq0rV7g?mc_cid=37d36dd72a&mc_eid=75d56d5346

Working with the right lead generation agency

Music

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Apr 30, 2021

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By Sam

Every business needs a lead generation strategy in place. However, working with the right agency is not easy. In this article, I will discuss what you need to look for.

Working with the right lead generation agency

Your lead generation agency

The 6 step process

To finish

When we think about a lead generation agency, what areas come to mind?

One area that needs to be brought up is conversions. This is always the goal when working with lead generation and developing your lead generation strategy.

However, the road to getting conversions requires analysis. For example, the great benefit of lead generation is that it targets qualified leads. These leads are tailored towards your business These are the leads that were meant for you. Getting those right leads on your own is difficult.

The other goal of working with a lead generation agency is that you can get hopefully multiple streams of leads, month after month.

One lead may not do the trick for your business and its growth. But remember, with lead generation, your first aim is to get a conversion. A conversion may require multiple appointments with your sales team. It can be a gradual process, into converting the conversion to a sale.

With all this said, let’s discuss what you need to look for in a lead generation agency.

Your lead generation agency

The aspect that separates lead generation from other generic marketing strategies is that it targets the right leads for your business. There is always a chance that your marketing strategy will not appeal to your target audience.

Lead generation is as close you can get. This sounds like a reliable strategy, right?

On that note, how do you choose your agency?

One of the first points to look for is their experience and history. Do they have experience in working for top brands?

The other point to consider is that some of the top agencies are there to help once you outsource your lead generation strategy. This may mean that you need to prepare beforehand.

The 6 step process

The agency needs to be a full-service organization. In lead generation terms, this means that they consider all the 6 factors that can play a role in your lead generation strategy. These are.

Linkedin
Cold email
B2B lead generation
Cold calling
Lead generation outsourcing
Appointment setting

How many of these steps have you considered before reaching out to a lead generation company?

Linkedin is a great platform to get networks. These networks could be potential customers or even work partners.

Cold emailing and cold calling are both effective forms of communication if done right. With these two methods, you need a bit of guidance because to do these effectively, you need an experienced team that understands communication.

Your sales and marketing team need to know your potential customers information. This is where the B2B lead generation information and data are important. The agency will work hard to identify customer’s information so that your team can get working ASAP on those leads.

The workload can be intense, which is why many outsource their lead generation strategy to another agency. This buys you a lot more time so that you can work more on those leads and converting them.

But, you may find that the process of conversions always includes appointments with your clients.

To finish

All in all, work with a lead generation agency that provides you and your business the whole package of lead generation. Review each step carefully and communicate this with the team.

Experienced agencies exist and they may be 1 click or 1 search away.

Author bio

Sam Edwards is a content writer who lives in Tunbridge Wells. He is working for Pearl Lemon Properties. When he is not writing, he can be found grabbing a coffee or playing guitar.