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Royal Mint and Elton John Announce Charity Auction

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The Royal Mint has announced a special charity auction in conjunction with Elton John to raise money for the Elton John UK Charitable Foundation.

2021 sees the fiftieth anniversary of Elton John’s iconic album ‘Madman Across The Water’ featuring hits ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘Levon’.  Fifty years later, The Royal Mint is honouring the iconic career and hits of Elton with a piece of art of their own.

To mark the singer’s iconic career, and raise funds for the Elton John UK Charitable Foundation, The Royal Mint will auction a one of a kind silver medallion. The piece was commissioned exclusively for the Foundation and was hand-engraved by The Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver Gordon Summers as well as being lasered using state of the art technology to create the intricate design.

The medallion features Elton’s best-loved songs in a spiral motif on one side – including ‘Rocket Man’ ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Crocodile Rock’ – with a replica of Elton John’s 2020 UK coin on the other.  The medallion weighs approximately 5 kilos in fine silver, and measures 185mm. The unique piece features gold plating applied at Asprey of Bond Street, London.

The auction will take place online and open from Wednesday 21st April until Thursday 6th May.  Potential bidders can register on the Royal Mint’s website and place their bids from this day. The opening bid will start from £12,000, and all profits will go towards supporting the young musicians and crew affected by the challenges currently facing the live industry. As a long standing advocate for emerging talent, Elton continues to work with the government, music industry and the artistic community to find positive solutions to these pressing issues. Funds will be distributed to relevant organisations via Elton John’s UK Charitable Foundation- a charity set up by Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish. The charity was set up to allow Elton and David to make charitable contributions outside the world of HIV/AIDS. Since its formation in 2007, the EJCF has supported over 100 charities across a multitude of causes.

Elton John comments: “I’m delighted that The Royal Mint has created this amazing piece for auction and that the funds will go directly to the people supported by our foundation.  It’s beautiful and really impressive and also humbling to see so many of my songs depicted in this way.  Seeing my autograph engraved so precisely on the coin just goes to show the detail that’s gone into this piece – it really is a thing of beauty and I’m proud to put my name to it.”

Although the medallion follows a very similar process to the creation of larger coins, it is not technically a coin as it does not bear the effigy of HRH Queen Elizabeth, as all legal tender includes.  It also does not have a denomination.

Hard Rock International, WhyHunger And Yoko Ono Lennon Team Up To Combat World Hunger And Honor 50th Anniversary Of “Imagine”

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Hard Rock International today announced its continued partnership with global non-profit WhyHunger and activist-artist Yoko Ono Lennon to launch the “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign, a unified effort to raise awareness and funds to combat global hunger and poverty. As a part of the campaign and inspired by John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine” and the 50th anniversary of its release, Hard Rock is introducing its 37th Signature Series – the John Lennon, “Imagine There’s No Hunger” Collection – for purchase online and at Hard Rock Hotels, Cafes and Casinos worldwide. The collection will feature a variety of merchandise, including two shirt designs, a hat, a mini guitar with stand and a commemorative pin, with the items ranging in price from $16.00 to $29.50.

To make this collection even more special, Hard Rock has partnered with WhyHunger and committed 30% of proceeds from its new merchandise sales, with a minimum contribution amount of $450,000, to support WhyHunger and its mission to end worldwide hunger and poverty. Hard Rock and WhyHunger together have helped communities in 31 countries grow nutritious food to provide 9.8 million meals to 120,600 children and their families.

In addition to the initial merchandise collection launching in April, additional merchandise will be released in September to commemorate the September 1971 release of “Imagine” 50 years earlier.

The new line of merchandise takes design inspiration from iconic photographs and the Imagine: John Lennon album cover, emoting a feeling of hope and optimism towards the campaign’s mission of ending hunger and poverty. Those looking to purchase items from Hard Rock’s John Lennon, “Imagine There’s No Hunger” Collection can visit www.shop.hardrock.com/en-us/john-lennon-imagine.

More than 25 years ago, Hard Rock developed the concept of partnering with world-renowned musicians and bands to create imaginative designs that are converted into limited-edition merchandise and sold at Hard Rock properties worldwide. A portion of the retail price from the sale of the merchandise benefits the artist’s preferred charity. Music icons including Bruce Springsteen, Pitbull, Rihanna, Imagine Dragons, U2, KISS, Eric Clapton, The Who, Jon Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Shakira and Ringo Starr have all been part of Hard Rock’s Signature Series and Artist Spotlight programs, which have raised millions of dollars for charitable causes worldwide.

Ed Sheeran’s Isolated Vocals For “Shape Of You”

Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You became the first song to hit 2 billion streams on Spotify and has been the most streamed song on the service.

In August 2018, Billboard published a new edition of the “Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Singles” chart, its list of the 100 best-performing songs in the history of the Hot 100. “Shape of You” is ranked at number nine, the third-highest position of any song released in the 2010s.

What Happens When Four Strangers Called Paul O’Sullivan Form A Band

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Paul O’Sullivan from Baltimore added people around the world on Facebook with the same name as him, and decided to actually form a band. I’ve done the first part (using my name, of course), but not the second one, so brilliant of him and them!

A Guide On Buying The Right Ukulele

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Finding the best ukulele for one can be a fairly difficult job. Indeed, many choices need to be made when selecting the ukulele of the right kind. This short ukulele buying article will tell you how you can buy the best ukulele. This article is especially useful to those who don’t have enough time to research? Simply scroll down and learn to buy a ukulele.

This ukulele buying guide will help all buyers to choose the right tool.

There are different woods, sizes, types, and brands out there in the market. It can be rewarding when you find a perfect one for you. But it is not like matching a wand with the wizard. Here in this post, you will see the primary distinction between different kinds of ukuleles.

What ukulele sizes and materials are available?

It is natural for a good ukulele buying guide to put attention to the chief sizes of ukuleles. There are four sizes- concert, baritone, soprano, and tenor. Recently sopranissimo is gaining greater popularity which is smaller than a soprano ukulele.

Soprano-

The soprano is the smallest and traditional kind of ukulele. They have a jangly, light sound usually associated with them. The individual with a large hand or fingers may have trouble playing this ukulele. As the frets are closer, they are good for a newer one.  If you are thinking to order online, purchasing this one is the safest bet.

Concert-

The concert is a bit bigger than the previous one. They have a deeper and fuller tone. It is having a long neck and more fret. It is easier to play if having big hands. If you are starting out and you are concerned about how tiny soprano is because your hands are quite big, you can go with concert one.

Tenor-

The tenor ukulele is larger than the concert and soprano ukulele. Even this ukulele is having a deeper and rich tone. If you are intended to put on shows with this musical tool then tenor is the right option. Still, you can perform with a concert or soprano but the sound may not carry well. If you just at the beginning you shouldn’t try baritone. You must wait until you have practice on classic size ukulele.

Plastic-

Though the classic ones are crafted using wood material, you may find a starter ukulele that is made using plastic that is low priced. This comes in ranges of shades so they are great if you wish for an eye-catching and bright tool. Plastic ones would not wrap in high humidity like the wooden counterparts but they also do not have the depth of tone that wooden ukulele does. Always you can begin with the plastic one and then shift to a wooden one once you saved the cash.

Wood-

The classic ukulele is crafted using laminate or solid and they last for a long time and can range in costs but may be a bit costlier in comparison to the plastic ones. Solid wood ukulele will provide excellent tone but they are vulnerable to temperature and can wrap up their 60%+ humidity. Laminate wood is low priced and isn’t vulnerable to temperature and humidity. But the ukuleles that are crafted using this material do not have a quality tone.

Shop ukulele-

Set budget between $50-200-

If you can buy a ukulele in a cheaper than that, possibly it won’t be of the best quality and may not last for long. Stick with this range if it’s the first ukulele and go up in the price if you want one of professional grade.

Professional one usually ranges from $50-1000. You can find ukulele below this price but they are not at all a good to buy option and would not sound better.

Check the dimensions if you are buying online-

It isn’t possible always to step into the nearby shop to find the instrument you want and that’s alright. If you want to buy a ukulele online, ensure that you read out the description of the material, size, and quality before making any purchases. Also, you want to go through the online reviews before you shop for the ukulele. Try to find out the ukulele online from a genuine shop.

What to do before you buy?

Play it-

The best way to see whether you liked the bought ukulele is holding and practicing strumming. If you have a friend who loves playing ukulele you can think to ask them so that you may try one that he or she is having and can order the same online.

Hold and see if it’s comfortable or not-

Based upon the ukulele size and length of the arm, you may need a smaller or bigger one. Rest the tool in your lap while holding the harm with one hand, keeping the tool at an angle. Strum it with the other hand to see whether you are comfortable using it or not. If the elbow on your strumming arm doesn’t feel comfortable you then need a smaller one. If fingers don’t move between frets you then need a smaller one. If fingers are large to hold a fret at a time, the larger one is the best bet.

Same again ask your friend’s ukulele and test and accordingly, you can make a buying decision. If the same fits perfectly, you can buy the same one. Or else you can buy another option that you are comfortable using.

Should one learn to play it? Reasons why-

1-     Ukulele is easy for newer to choose from-

They are light-weighted and come in ranges of sizes and shapes and are easy for newer and young players to choose and become masters. They are good for young as their string can be manipulated in comparison to the other more complex stringed tools such as electric guitar and acoustic that take 2 months before an individual gets habited to the strings.

2-     They are affordable-

Buying a ukulele unlike others such as guitars and pianos won’t put a dent in the wallet. You can locate a quality one for few dollars. Moreover, they come in different sizes and shapes so you can choose the one that suits the budget.

Summing up-

Finally, you have got the idea about ukulele before buying now you can shop easily the right one. You can learn more about it. You just have to navigate to this website and get more important things about it to know.

 

 

 

 

Julia Michaels Reveals Highly Anticipated Debut Album “Not In Chronological Order”

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Today, Grammy Award-nominated multiplatinum singer and songwriter JULIA MICHAELS reveals the title and track listing to her long-awaited debut album, Not In Chronological Orderwhich arrives April 30. To accompany the announce, she shared a new song from the album, “Love Is Weird.”

Offering another glimpse into what fans can expect from the upcoming album, “Love Is Weird,” weaves together airy production and soft acoustic guitar, while she delicately likens relationships to “Playing Operation trying to put me back together, before candidly admitting, “Love is weird. Don’t know how I wound up here…It shows up and disappears. This honest and hypnotic melody highlights her uncanny ability to tune into raw emotion and unfiltered lyricism, with her signature vocal tone and delivery.

The new song sets the stage for the release of her anxiously awaited full-length debut album, Not In Chronological Order, out on April 30, 2021.  Presenting a full 360-degree perspective on the critically acclaimed songstress, it examines every facet of her life emotionally and spiritually in a 10-song body of work that finds Julia piecing together the chapters of her life in one place work.

When I was looking at the tracklisting, it literally was not in chronological order of the events that it took place in my life,” she says. “The way that I saw the tracklisting in my head, a lot of the heartbreak came in the middle, and finding new love came at the end. That’s the arc of this album: I’m not bitter about love anymore. I know what functional love is like and being in love and being hesitant about that love because it feels so perfect.”

Over the past few years, no songwriter has had more of an impact on reshaping pop music than Grammy nominated and multi-platinum selling artist Julia Michaels, whose razor-sharp perspective on love, loss, and the wide spectrum of the human experience has deservedly catapulted her to the forefront of her industry. Lauded for her work on hit singles by artists like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Niall Horan, Dua Lipa, Janelle Monáe, Shawn Mendes, P!NK, Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Hailee Steinfeld, The Chicks, Keith Urban, Jessie Ware, and more, Julia has spent the last decade honing her craft and delivering fans some of the most evocative music of a generation.

In 2017, Julia embarked on a solo career separate from her work synthesizing the stories of the stars around her with “Issues,” her 5x-platinum selling debut single. A year later, her peers recognized her stunning work with Grammy nominations for “Best New Artist” and “Song of the Year.” Committing to her solo work, Julia released a series of critically acclaimed EPs, including 2017’s fan-favorite Nervous System and 2019’s critically acclaimed Inner Monologue Part 1 and Inner Monologue Part 2. She also embarked on The Inner Monologue Tour, which marked her first-ever headline tour throughout the U.S. following an enviable run touring the world with an incredible array of artists including Maroon 5, Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan, and P!NK.

In 2020, she received her third Grammy nomination, and second in the prestigious “Song Of The Year” category, for her collaboration with JP Saxe on “If The World Was Ending,” in addition to earning her second #1 as a songwriter on the Billboard Hot 100 for Selena Gomez’ “Lose You To Love Me.”

Not In Chronological Order – Tracklist:

  1. All Your Exes
  2. Love Is Weird
  3. Pessimist
  4. Little Did I Know
  5. Orange Magic
  6. Lie Like This
  7. Wrap Around
  8. History
  9. Undertone
  10. That’s The Kind Of Woman

 

 

Spongebob Squarepants’ Isolated Vocals For “Ripped Pants”

The a capella nobody asked for, but we never knew we all needed.

My Next Read: “There and Black Again: The Autobiography of Don Letts”

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Starring the Grammy award winning filmmaker, rock star, DJ, radio broadcaster, social commentator, husband and father Don Letts, There And Black Again takes in many lives and places. It is written as scenes from a movie shot on location in London, Kingston, New York, Los Angeles, Windhoek, Salt Lake City, and Goldeneye. Co-starring a cast of hundreds, including Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Bob Marley, Chrissie Hynde, Chris Blackwell, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Keith Richards, Pattie Smith, Chuck D., Malcolm McLaren, and Vivienne Westwood, it takes in major cultural movements from skinhead through punk to Black Lives Matter, and includes scenes of civil unrest, live music, humour, and political struggle. There And Black Again describes in clear-eyed detail a life of work and love, of battles against prejudice and negativity, of failures and great successes. It describes a six-decade journey through sound and vision which has left a unique body of award-winning work in film, television, and music.

CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend Rescheduled for September 3 – 5, 2021

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The Country Music Association of Ontario has rescheduled the 2021 CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend in Hamilton to September 3 – 5, 2021, following the recommendations from officials regarding COVID-19. Previously scheduled for May 28 – 30, the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend, presented by Slaight Music, will now host three drive in concerts in September at Ancaster Fairgrounds including the Legacy Revival, the New Faces Showcase & Concert, and the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards.

CMAOntario took the steps to reschedule the festivities to ensure that the health and well-being of artists and audiences is protected. CMAOntario is committed to presenting and promoting the work of Ontario’s country music industry and looks forward to celebrating in the Fall.

Hosted by Jason McCoy and Beverley Mahood, the CMAOntario Awards Show will close out the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend on Sunday, September 5 with performances and 18 award presentations at this drive-in finale. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 23 at 12pm.

Previously announced performers, subject to change, include Tim Hicks, nominated for five awards at the 2021 CMAOntario Awards; Robyn Ottolini, nominated for five awards; Buck Twenty, nominated for four awards; Aaron Allen, nominated for two awards; Owen Barney, nominated for two awards; Sacha, nominated for the Rising Star of the Year Award; David Boyd Janes, nominated for Male Artist of the Year; Reney Ray, nominated for the Francophone Artist or Group of the Year Award; The Redhill Valleys, nominated for the Roots Artist or Group of the Year Award; and the CMAOntario Awards house band The Western Swing Authority, who are nominated for two awards.