That Eric Alper

By Mitch Rice

When you’re drowning in homework and freaking out, tons of students look online for help with essays. Big problem? Most sites are straight-up trash. Some take your money and ghost you, others send copy-pasted junk that gets you kicked outta school. This study showed like 37% of college kids got ripped off by fake writing services. Let’s figure out how to spot the real deals from the total garbage.

Red Flags of Fraudulent Essay Services

Spotting the sketchy services ain’t rocket science if you know what to look for. These warning signs might save your wallet and your grades.

A legit essay writing service won’t pull this kinda crap:

• Super cheap prices ($5 per page? Yeah right)
• No privacy policy (sketchy AF)
• Website full of spelling mistakes (like they can’t even spell “dissertation”)
• No real phone number or address
• Promising crazy fast turnarounds (complete 50-page paper by tomorrow!)
• No mention of revisions or refunds

This Yale prof says the worst services aren’t the obvious scams but the slick-looking ones that send plagiarized junk. “These places can wreck your whole college career,” he warns. If you ever decide to pay someone to write essay, make sure you choose a reputable and transparent platform — otherwise, you risk falling for one of these traps.

Weird red flag nobody talks about: sample essays that sound like novels. Real college papers have a certain boring vibe. If their samples read like bestsellers, run away fast.

Hallmarks of Legitimate Writing Platforms

The real-deal platforms actually give a crap about not being garbage. They need repeat customers, not one-time scams. Essay website reviews usually point out these things that separate decent services from dumpster fires.

What non-scammy services usually got:

• Clear pricing without surprise fees
• You can talk to your writer directly
• Free revisions when they mess up
• Plagiarism reports so you know it’s original
• Payment methods that won’t steal your identity
• Sample papers that look like actual college work
• Info about the writers and what they know

This lady who runs a tutoring company explains: “Good services actually try to teach you stuff, not just hand you a paper and say ‘good luck with that.'”

One sneaky good sign: they’ll actually say NO to crazy requests. Quality places turn down impossible deadlines rather than just taking your money for something they can’t deliver.

Price vs. Quality: Finding the Right Balance

If it’s super cheap, it’s super trash. While everybody wants deals, those rock-bottom prices mean rock-bottom quality. Decent undergrad essays cost $15-25 per page, and grad school stuff costs more like $20-40 per page.

Trusted essay help isn’t dirt cheap. Think about what goes into making a custom paper: research, writing, editing, formatting. If someone’s writing your 10-page psych paper for thirty bucks total, they’re either plagiarizing or using crappy AI.

This Princeton researcher says: “The math just doesn’t work for super cheap services unless they’re doing something sketchy—usually plagiarizing, hiring terrible writers, or just running everything through AI without checking.”

Weird price thing: prices go crazy during finals week. Services with steady prices year-round usually got better writers and better quality control.

Verifying Credibility Before You Pay

Before throwing money at some random website, do your homework first. Reliable essay sites leave footprints all over the internet you can check yourself.

How to check if a service is garbage before using it:

• Find reviews on sites they can’t control (Trustpilot, Reddit)
• Look for detailed reviews mentioning specific assignments
• Check if their social media looks dead
• Run their sample essays through plagiarism checkers
• Test customer service with weird questions
• See how long their website has existed (new sites = bigger risk)

This ex-FBI guy who hunted academic scammers says: “Always test them with something small first. Get a two-page paper before trusting them with your thesis.”

How old the company is matters tons. Places around 5+ years have proven they ain’t just scamming people and disappearing. New sites might be OK, but they haven’t proven nothing yet.

Protecting Yourself When Using Writing Services

Even with good services, you gotta watch your back to avoid essay scams. The relationship should feel like working with a tutor, not just buying a product.

Smart moves to protect yourself:

• Never give your university login (duh, but people do this)
• Use payment methods with fraud protection
• Save every message between you and the service
• Ask for drafts for big projects
• Actually read the paper before turning it in
• Know your school’s rules about using writing services

This Berkeley prof says: “Students should treat these services like tutoring, not paper vending machines. You should learn something, not just copy-paste it.”

Weird but smart trick: be honest with the writing service about what you know. If your prof might quiz you on the paper, make sure you understand everything in it.

The Ethical Dimension

Beyond avoiding scams, there’s this whole messy question about what’s ethical. Using these services right means knowing where help ends and cheating starts.

This Columbia ethics expert puts it simple: “The difference between ethical and sketchy usage comes down to whether you’re learning anything. Are you using the service to improve, or just to avoid work? That difference matters way more than students think.”

Tons of schools updated their cheating policies to catch students who pay for papers. Punishments range from failing to expulsion, with some places using fancy methods to catch cheaters.

The smartest approach mixes practical with ethical—use services for guidance and editing, but develop your own skills too. This way you minimize risk while actually learning something.

Getting honest help shouldn’t feel like gambling. By knowing what good services look like and avoiding scammers, students can get help without ruining their future or getting robbed. The best services don’t just hand you papers—they help you not feel like you just flushed your money down the toilet.

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.

By Mitch Rice

When you first look at a page of sheet music you might think:

“What on earth is this? It’s like reading some secret code.”

Believe it or not, a lot of people feel exactly the same way you do when they look at sheet music for the first time…

Learning how to read music is something that’s much simpler than it seems.

If you know the right strategies you can be reading sheet music fluently in no time.

Plus you don’t have to be born with some kind of “musical” talent to do it, anyone can learn to read music.

All it takes is some knowledge and practice.

In this article you will learn about some of the most essential tips that will help you learn how to read music fluently!

Things you will learn:

• Why learning how to read music is something that’s so important
• Getting started with music notation basics
• Essential strategies to build your music reading fluency
• 5 Mistakes beginners make when trying to read music
• A simple plan that you can start using right now

Why Learning To Read Music Is Something So Important

Did you know that…

Approximately 11% of the population can read music notation?

That is a shockingly small number when it comes to something that’s such an important skill to have.

You see when you can read music it enables you to play any song you want.

You no longer have to rely on YouTube tutorials and YouTube tabs to figure out songs.

(Though those are pretty good skills to have as well)

When you can read music you are able to:

• Play pieces of music exactly how the composer wanted them played
• Learn new songs at a much faster rate
• You are able to better understand music theory concepts
• Make communication easier with other musicians

Reading music is like learning a universal language that will enable you to speak with composers from hundreds of years ago to musicians all over the world today.

Getting Started With Music Notation Basics

To be able to learn how to read music you first need to know and understand some music notation basics.

Music notation may look like an extremely complex system that you cannot hope to learn at first.

The truth is that once you start to break it down it becomes very simple.

The staff is made up of five lines and four spaces. Each space and line represents a different pitch.

Notes that are higher on the staff sound higher. Notes that are lower on the staff sound lower.

In the image below is a picture of the treble clef and the bass clef.

As a beginner you need to know:

• The treble clef (which is used for higher notes)
• The bass clef (which is used for lower notes)
• Note values (how long a note is to be played for)
• Time signatures (rhythm framework)

You do not need to try to learn all this information at one time, in fact it’s best not to.

If you are learning piano, guitar, or singing. You can leave the bass clef for later and focus on getting comfortable with the treble clef.

Essential Strategies To Build Your Reading Fluency

If you want to know the quickest way to build up your music reading skills?

The answer is to practice with pieces of music that are at your level.

Working with beginner-friendly sheet music is a great way to build your confidence while also learning the basic skills you will need to tackle more difficult pieces of music in the future.

Practicing with a well known pop song that you enjoy will be helpful. For example, learning to read piano sheet music like All of Me piano sheet music is a really good idea.

This is because you are already familiar with the melody. It’s already inside your brain.

So when you connect the written notes with the sounds you hear it’s easier for the brain to recognize what the notes are.

Here are the most effective strategies:

Use The Landmark Method

Instead of memorizing every single line and space. You want to use a “landmark” note that is easy to remember.

In the treble clef the middle C note and the Treble G note work really well for this.

Once you know these two you can easily figure out the other notes around these two landmarks.

Practice Daily (Even 5 Minutes Will Do)

Consistency is key when it comes to practicing music reading skills.

Five minutes of focused reading practice is much more effective than one one-hour session every week.

Your brain needs to be exposed to this kind of information regularly so that it can build strong neural connections.

Reading Without Playing

Ok so this is one that might sound a little strange at first.

The reason this is so effective is because you are looking at the sheet music. And naming the notes without actually playing them.

You are training your brain to recognize notes and patterns a lot quicker.

Start Slow & Simple

When you first start to read music try using some beginner sheet music that has large note values.

Once you can read those fluently you can start to work your way up to smaller note values and faster rhythms.

Set Clear Goals

When you sit down to practice, it’s important not to practice randomly.

You want to set a goal for the session. What do you want to work on?

Are you trying to learn to read music in a new key or do you want to practice improving your rhythm reading?

Use A Metronome

Rhythm is half the battle when it comes to reading music.

A metronome will help you keep on track and also develop good timing. This is crucial if you are going to be able to learn to read music fluently.

A study done by Temple University found that while 92% of children had access to music education only 49% were actually participating.

Those students that did participate and continued to stick with it developed greater cognitive skills and academic results.

Mistakes Beginners Make When Trying To Read Music

Although there are strategies that you can use when it comes to learning how to read music.

Beginners will often make a lot of the same mistakes.

These are some of the common mistakes to avoid:

• Trying to memorize the position of every single note. Use landmarks and intervals instead.
• Practicing with only your favorite pieces of music. When you sight read music you are reading music that you’ve never seen before. If you only practice what you already know you’re not building sight-reading skills.
• Ignoring rhythm. Many beginners will only focus on the pitch of notes they are playing. And they will often forget about the rhythm.
• Giving up too quickly. Learning to read music is a skill. You don’t pick it up overnight. You need time and consistent practice to get good at it.

Bringing It All Together

Learning how to read music fluently is one of the most beneficial skills you can learn as a musician.

It’s going to open you up to a world of music, and the strategies that have been talked about here will put you on the right track.

If you follow these steps you should start to see results and progress pretty quickly:

• Learn the music notation basics
• Get comfortable using the landmark method
• Practice daily (even 5 minutes a day will help)
• Work with actual music pieces that are at your level
• Avoid the mistakes that many beginners make

All you need to do is find some beginner sheet music and get started.

Every expert out there had to start at the same place you are at right now.

The difference is that they didn’t give up.

With consistent practice and the strategies that have been mentioned in this article you too will be reading music fluently in no time.

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.

By Mitch Rice

When a musician hits the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it’s not just a plaque on a wall—it’s a career-defining supernova. But what if that induction came wrapped in a tangible relic: a limited edition book chronicling sleepers (those buried gems that never charted but defined souls), chart-topping hits, and raw tour diaries? Picture this for inductees like Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl or late-night legend Prince: a 300-page tome, numbered to 500 copies, bound in leatherette with embossed guitar necks. 

Fun fact: The Hall’s first limited edition nod went to The Beatles in 1988, with only 250 signed copies fetching $10K at auction today. This isn’t merch; it’s a collector’s holy grail, blending autobiography with artifact. For rising stars or legacy acts, it’s the print equivalent of a vinyl box set—exclusive, archival, alive.

Why Limited Editions Still Slay in the Streaming Era

In a world where Spotify buries B-sides in algorithmic tombs, limited edition books resurrect them. Only 1% of music sales are physical now, per RIAA stats, but high-end print runs like these spike collector frenzy—think Nirvana’s 1991 “Nevermind” anniversary editions, selling out in hours. 

For Hall inductees, capping at 1,000 copies creates scarcity: each book’s certificate of authenticity, signed by the artist, turns it into a mini-investment. 

Fun fact: Bruce Springsteen’s 2010 memoir “Born to Run” limited run of 1,500 copies included handwritten lyrics; one sold for $25K in 2023. These books aren’t dusty tomes—they’re interactive heirlooms with QR codes linking to unreleased demos, proving print and digital can jam together. In an inductee’s orbit, it’s the merch that outlives TikTok trends, forging fan loyalty deeper than any playlist.

Unearthing Sleepers: The Unsung Heroes of the Catalog

Sleepers are the sonic Easter eggs—tracks like The Who’s “Bargain” that fans swear by but radio ignored. In this limited edition, a dedicated chapter dissects 10-15 per artist, with liner notes from producers and rare photos. For inductee Alanis Morissette, imagine spotlighting “You Oughta Know” outtakes alongside forgotten “Jagged Little Pill” demos. Straight stats: Sleepers comprise 40% of an average rock discography, per Discogs data, yet drive 25% of streaming royalties via cult playlists. Fun fact: Radiohead’s “Kid A” sleepers like “Everything in Its Right Place” were initially panned but now top fan polls, influencing acts like Tame Impala. Curated with input from the inductee’s inner circle, this section includes fun facts—like how U2’s “40” was born from a biblical verse Bono scribbled mid-tour. It’s not nostalgia; it’s revisionist rock history, handing fans the director’s cut of a legend’s oeuvre.

Hits Dissected: Anatomy of Chart Domination

No Hall bio skips the smashes, but this book goes surgical: timelines, sales breakdowns, and “what if” scenarios for each hit. Take inductee Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”—peak Billboard #1 for four weeks in ’73, with 2M+ copies sold. Chapters map the chaos: studio fights, remix battles, cultural ripple (it sound tracked “The Simpsons” pilot). Data dive: Hits account for 70% of an artist’s revenue, says Sound Exchange, but only 20% of their creative output. 

Fun fact: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video cost $500K—equivalent to $1.5M today—and boosted the album to 70M sales, making it the biggest seller ever. With glossy inserts of original sheet music and Grammy telegrams, this section celebrates the anthems while humanizing the grind. For readers, it’s like cracking open the vault where magic meets metrics, turning passive listeners into armchair A&Rs.

Tour Diaries: Sweat, Setlists, and Backstage Mayhem

Tour life isn’t glamour—it’s 200 shows, busted amps, and 3 a.m. Taco Bell runs. These diaries, pulled from inductee journals, Polaroids, and crew logs, paint the unfiltered road saga. For Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 “Rumours” tour, entries detail cocaine-fueled riffs amid divorce drama, with setlists evolving nightly. Raw numbers: Average rock tour hits 150 dates, burning $10M in logistics, per Pollstar. 

Fun fact: The Rolling Stones’ 1981 Tattoo You jaunt grossed $50M (inflation-adjusted $170M), but Mick Jagger once lost his voice mid-“Satisfaction,” forcing ad-libs that became legend. 

Peppered with ticket stubs and rider demands (Van Halen’s no-brown-M&Ms clause started as a sabotage check), this chapter’s voice is gritty prose—think Hunter S. Thompson meets Lester Bangs. It’s the anti-LinkedIn of music: proof that Hall status was forged in van exhaust and venue green rooms, not boardrooms.

Crafting the Aesthetic: From Concept to Cover Art

Design isn’t decoration; it’s the book’s backbone. Collaborating with artists like Shepard Fairey for covers, these editions blend punk zine grit with coffee-table polish—matte lamination, spot UV for lyric highlights. Inside, 100gsm acid-free paper ensures longevity; layouts mix serif fonts for diaries with sans for stats. 

Fun fact: The Who’s 1969 “Tommy” album art inspired 500+ limited books, but early prints faded due to cheap ink—lesson learned for today’s soy-based eco-inks. For an inductee like Patti Smith, the spine might etch “Horses” in horseshoe nails, with endpapers from tour maps. 

Straight specs: 8.5×11 trim size, 250–350 pages, thread-sewn for flat-lay reading. This phase involves artist sign-off on proofs, ensuring the tactile feel (faux-leather boards, ribbon markers) evokes a ’70s gatefold sleeve. Result? A book that begs to be shelved beside your turntable, not your Kindle.

Perfect Binding for Eternal Riffs: The Printing Edge

Production demands precision—enter limited edition music career bound book printing, where perfect binding seals the deal with glue that withstands decades. This method, used for 80% of softcovers per Printing Industries of America, flexes without cracking, ideal for diary dog-ears. 

Fun fact: The first perfect-bound book? A 1940s pulp novel that survived WWII foxholes; today’s variants use PUR adhesives, boosting durability 300%. 

For Hall editions, it’s short-run digital presses churning 500-1,000 units in weeks, with foil stamping for inductee signatures. Eco-twist: Recycled stocks cut carbon by 30%, aligning with green riders from acts like Pearl Jam. No skimping—color calibration hits Pantone rock standards, ensuring “Purple Rain” hues pop true. It’s the unsung hero of the project: turning raw PDFs into heirlooms that smell like fresh vinyl, ready to ship in custom slipcases.

Legacy Locked In: Why This Book Outlives the Inductee

A Hall plaque gathers dust; this book breathes. Distributed via artist sites and indie shops, it funds scholarships—e.g., inductee Tom Petty’s estate donated “Wildflowers” edition proceeds to music education. Collector impact: Similar runs, like David Bowie’s 2016 “Blackstar” tribute, appreciated 40% in resale value. 

Fun fact: Elvis’s 1982 limited bio fetched $1M at Sotheby’s; today’s digital scarcity (NFT tie-ins) could double that for modern inductees. Beyond commerce, it’s cultural archive—libraries like Cleveland’s Rock Hall snag copies for exhibits, preserving sleepers against streaming purges.

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.