How to make the most out of your vocal lessons?

The 21st Century has brought with it a promotion tool that has by far surpassed any in the previous past – social media. If you are reading this, you definitely are in some sort of social media; whether it’s Instagram, Facebook or even communication channels such as WhatsApp. As a matter of fact, we have a generation that spends more time on the phone than it actually spends time doing some actual talking. In as much as this can be detrimental to social cues and societal development, it still comes with its fair share of advantages. The biggest benefit is that it has made the world a global village making it possible to reach all your fans from the comfort of your room!

It’s not that easy, however – you just don’t go online, post some pictures or a video of you recording something in a studio and then expect to gain your popularity. Music promotion is somewhat similar to promoting a product for marketers – the music is your product while you are your best marketer. You’ll thus need to put in the extra sweat and toil if you are to experience a breakthrough in your industry. That said, one should also not assume it’s a hard task. As a matter of fact, since we have quite the experience in teaching music from our music school, you’ll be lucky today since we will guide through marketing your music online – a complete essential for the 21st-Century musician.

Being Strategic is Key

As already said, you just don’t go into it blindly and still claim to be promoting your music. It’s almost similar to diving into the deep end of a pool with blindfolds on – how fun is that going to be for you?

Having a strategy begins with clearly outlining your objectives. What content are you going to post and what do you intend to achieve? Note: you don’t always have to post links leading to your music downloads. You can integrate this with documentaries, videos, pictures, blogs and so much more. More on this to be discussed as we continue…

Your objectives while promoting your music could be anything from building your brand and having fans recognize your brand/name, especially for starters, attracting new fans through driving traffic to your site or simply engagement with your audience. Your objectives will be your guiding factor even as you record and post.

Nurture Your Brand

It’s not the music that does so much of the talking! Actually, your image might even gain more popularity than your music. How you position yourself and present your music across the different platforms really matters a lot. Music promotion is so much about creating the desired impression to make the biggest impact other than it’s about plainly singing. So, how do you present and nurture your own brand?

Professionalize Your Images

Some musicians opt to promote their music solo due to charges of going to a studio among other expenses. One of these charges that musicians really fear is the photography charges! It’s really awesome that you have decided to create your own content; nonetheless, when it comes to branding and imagery, you really need to consider approaching this professionally. You should keep in mind that a photo will speak a thousand words – what will a bad photo speak about you?

Be Detail-Oriented

Paying attention to the small things actually pays in the long run. Don’t go for a professional photographer then shoot from a background that has half your audience struggling to keep their eyes open! This won’t really work well when promoting your content since not a lot of people will be willing to go through that misery. Therefore, you need to give focus to the location, the lighting, and even the clothing should be able to communicate.

Consistency across Social Media

The content you decide to post on Twitter should be almost, if not similar to what you post on Facebook and Instagram. This especially applies for photos and it helps fans easily recognize you across different platforms. This way, you can at least be assured of a fair distribution of subscribers and fans on the different platforms. This also makes it easier for fans of Instagram and those of Facebook to both remain aware of what’s going on in your music career.

Deciding On Content

The different social media platforms offer varied options for promoters. For instance, you cannot post a 10-minute video on Twitter and expect people to watch that! It’s Twitter for crying out loud! Twitter has been used for ‘keeping up with the Kardashians’ – that is, keeping up with all the latest trends and happenings across different industries and sectors. This could be political, economic, the entertainment industry or even in sports – Twitter remains your go-to for all the latest updates. A key feature observed amongst Twitter users is the use of short bursts and short wordings to pass on information.

Instagram, on the other hand, will be most beneficial if you maximize on images and videos. Use short stories to describe whatever you have posted, but maximize on the images in this platform. Here, you can also keep your audience engaged and entertained through the live videos feature which has also found its way to Facebook.

We already said that you cannot keep on posting the same stuff time and time again. The different content could include documenting where you tell stories. This could be your journey as an emerging musician, backstage and behind the scenes, successes and setbacks, and even the many festivals you’ll attend or are planning to. This should be quite easy since you are basically updating people on what’s happening around you 24/7.

Another content form could be the ones you post for educational purposes. Remember you have a skill; will you mind teaching that to your audience? It’s not more so about what your audience will give you other than what you’re willing to offer. You can also rebrand your content by occasionally posting purely entertaining content. This could even be other funny relatable videos that don’t even have to feature you.

The point is, once you decide on the content to be posted, you will then decide on the platform to do so. Make sure you maximize on the features that each platform has to offer such as meaningful hashtags for Instagram lovers.

The Channel Matters

Have you realized who your ideal fans are? Do you use analytics to know when they are mostly online? Where exactly do you find like-minded artists engaging with their fan base? What content type do you want to fixate on and which ones are you really good at? I have seen musicians with an undebated talent in freelancing and blogging but will be most shy in front of a camera!

The means what you use to promote your music could be broadly categorized into four:

Channels You Own

You may have 10,000+ followers on Instagram; what happens, however, when Instagram decide to close down? You obviously lose all your following and have to start from scratch. Don’t for a single minute make the assumption that this is not possible – so long as you don’t have ownership rights to the company; you cannot be certain of anything. This is why you need to prioritize on establishing and growing your own channels.

Website

This goes out to anyone doing business online with the intent of consistently promoting their content – you need to have a website as early as YESTERDAY! Your official website should be the one place where one can find anything and everything about you. It doesn’t matter the social media platform you are on as long as they all lead back to your site. At least you can be sure you don’t intend to close down in the near future!

Blog

Here you are allowed to take your music promotion a notch higher. You can take the opportunity to vary between long posts and short updates as you give your audience a closer peek into your little world. A blog allows you to get deep, intimate, and emotional and to just let go without being criticized – it’s your public journal after all. Remember, the key is to get personal with your audience by giving them a genuine touch of your everyday life. Do so at least twice a week and you’ll be good to go.

Mailing List

Businesses make huge conversions whenever random people subscribe to their newsletters. This form assures you that whatever content you send will reach their inbox unlike the probabilities involved in social media – you’re not really sure whether your post will appear on everyone’s newsfeed on Instagram for instance. Coming to think of it, you are a business, aren’t you? What are you waiting for?

Communities

Now we can expand on all we’ve been talking about from the start. These are just a few mentions and the most popular; nevertheless, there are a plethora of other choices you could decide to go for:

Facebook

It goes without saying; Facebook has been and still is the largest social network by any standards. It could offer the best opportunities for your music promotion at quite affordable costs or even for free. That notwithstanding, Facebook recently implemented new algorithms which determine the content accessed by fans; this has been detrimental for a big number of people especially those who lack an understanding about the changes. The very smart, on the other hand, have found new ways to outsmart this algorithm and successfully make it on this platform.

Instagram

When considering parents and babies, I’d say Instagram is Facebook’s healthiest baby. In some places where the younger generation outnumbers the older, you’ll find Instagram is more popular than Facebook. This platform will offer the best photo sharing experience with the ability to incorporate filters to your advantage. You can also link Instagram with other platforms to enable one-time posting across multiple channels. The major drawback here seems to be that one cannot link away from Instagram itself. That is, assuming one wants to post a link of your latest music video, one cannot do so without running an ad which can be frustrating. Nonetheless, way to go Instagram!

Musical.ly

This has also been around for quite some time and has helped millions of users in their music promotion. It basically helps one create, share and discover short music videos. Different users have used the app to engage in singing, dancing, lip-syncing trials and even comedy. There have been talks of Musical.ly shutting down due to its union with Tik Tok. This merger is only expected to bring about a better app with far much better services – fingers crossed!

Snapchat

Meet the newest kid on the block who has gained the attribute “King of short filtered videos/photos”. The platform is all about expressing yourself in a fun manner through short videos. Grab this opportunity and show your audience the fun side of you.

Amplification

These sources won’t require much active engagement but can still offer you credible opportunities to promote your music. These include the online sources that offer you live streaming options such as YouTube. All you have to do is focus on getting the best content here.

You could opt to go for online radios such as Pandora which allows you a chance to get a new audience as well as fans from your particular genre. Since album sales are meeting a slow death, live streaming should be at the back of your mind. Platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Red among others could get you off your way. If you are up to it, you can invade other people’s blogs as you seek opportunities to popularize yourself. Start with blogs that match up to your level before going for the high stakes!

Fan Conversion in UAE

Your fans will only remain your fans if you don’t take the next step to have them convert into loyal fans who actually promote your content and purchase your art. Start this by leading them to your emails for chances to buy tickets for your events, albums and even other merchandise you’ll have to offer. Platforms such as NoiseTrade and Bandcamp allow you to trade an album for an email address.

The journey is as easy or as hard as you make it. In all your endeavors, make sure you always value your audience even the ones who only have criticism for you. The manner in which an artist treats their fans speaks a lot about the kind of person they are. You don’t want to be the kind of person who receives bad publicity for returning words to angry comments.

All the best in your musical social media journey!

Hello players. I still remember the first time I saw someone play the guitar. I was lucky enough since the person in question could sing and summon both angels and demons with his voice. So you can bet it was a nice combo as my mother and I watched the performance of the guy who would later charm his way into her heart and become my stepfather! I was 4 then, and I immediately wanted to be taught how to go about with the strings and chords. You can imagine my mother’s surprise as I headed up front immediately he finished his performance, greeted him and asked him to be my ‘master’!

Long story short, I promise you’ll fall in love with me if you were to give me an Epiphone Les Paul Special II or even a simple steel-stringed acoustic guitar – been there, done that. But playing the guitar for 20 years doesn’t make you a master. Each day you might piece in some special note that you haven’t played before which humbles you to seek to learn more. Well, I’m speaking for myself; I’d like to assume it’s the same for other players too.

Over the years, people have manipulated and taken over the net as a source to spread just about anything. As a matter of fact, day in day out, hundreds of guitar tablature websites are being set up by individuals willing to share their guitar running experience. Some of these are totally free while you have to contribute a little something-something on other sites. Others will offer great information on just about any musical instrument with lessons available on the same.

The Best Tablature Websites

Looking for the best of anything is totally objective and depends on personal opinions. Nonetheless, for a guitar player, the best tablature will have several universal features for it to stand out from the rest. For instance, if it’s a paid site, it should be reasonably affordable or one will be prompted to look for the services elsewhere. Also, it should be packed and loaded with a wide variety of music to choose from and hence offer varied levels of hardness. This helps the player improve by the day. Some of these sites offer books and CDs at quite fair prices. Some have just been around for the longest time, carry the largest number of users and hence impress players with the notion of loyalty and long service delivery. They include:

Guitar Tab Creator

Do you want to know the easiest way to make, save and share tabs? Here, you will find different tools that all come in handy such as a freeboard, chords, scales and tunings. Users are advantaged since they require no software download as the site can be easily accessed on the web. Its ease of use and manipulation makes it particularly attractive to beginners who find a whole bunch of features there. The site also presents a chord tool that helps the user view the finger patterns for all chords played plus also plays them back with MIDI Sound!

SheetMusicPlus

With a database of over 100,000 Print and Digital Sheet Music Tiles, you are almost sure you’ll get the kind of help you’re looking for. The books and single tablature sheet music available will interest you with all sorts of genres right from jazz to the classical orchestras, folk, pop and rock. The providers also have an array of CDs to choose from to perfect your learning process. Get the latest releases as you get to enjoy instant shipment via mail.

Guitar Pro 7.5

This came into the market as the better version of Power Tab which led to this site besting others more in service delivery. That notwithstanding, the site requires certain fees for one to access the services. So if you’re not budgeting for any software, it might be a wise option to look some other way.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

Never again has rock and roll been this easier for the everyday nerd whose shyness hinders them from joining bands and learning the strings. As a matter of fact, the site has time and again fallen in the list of consumer’s favorites as the masses bring in positive reviews of the largest data store of online tabs and sheets. The catalogues are arranged in different formats; there’s a category for different genres, another containing different years (decades going back to the 1960s where they have a record of almost 25,000 tabs and lastly, there’s a group of the different types of tabs to be explored – whether you want Chords, Ukulele, Bass or Guitar Pro. The site allows users to find the highly rated tabs since it only references tabs with 5-star rating as well as choose the right tab type. We would highly recommend you to go for the Power Tab Files or download the Guitar Pro ones as long as you have the software installed. Thank us later.

Amazon Guitar Tabs

Amazon came into the market to bring you a one-stop shopping experience for all your shopping needs. Whatever it is you need, Amazon got it for you. In fact, the song tablatures available here are among the top-rated and some which you can’t find anywhere else. The site offers an awesome amount of guitar tablature books all to the advantage of the seeker. All you’ve got to do is type in “your favorite artist” and consecutively add “guitar tab”.

Guitar Tablature Websites: Wrap Up

There you go – tablature websites that will have you running until you can stand on your own two feet. Remember what we said; learning is an everyday process requiring lots of patience, dedication and more practice. But while you’re still at it, you should endeavour to try out something new; something that you teach yourself. After all, every guitar player is auspicious from the other. Each player with their guitar has a different playing style that cannot be compared to another’s. Therefore, don’t be afraid to try out new moves and chords combination and see what you’ll come up with. It would be better to do this once you’ve had a better grip of the guitar and mastered different guitar tablatures.

Humans have an innate fear of missing out that starts from a very young age. It’s why you’ll find little kids playing in groups and hating seclusion like a virus. The same also goes for mature adults – we run our lives as dictated by society while trying to keep up with all the latest happenings. It’s frustrating to have people at the office talking about the latest event that went down downtown without your knowledge. Social media platforms have come in place to fill this niche in society. It’s now possible to view what your friend over at Manhattan is up to while you’re way over in Washington DC!

Live streaming has been around for quite some time, but it’s only gained copious recognition in the recent past. This is after the introduction of live streaming on social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and even Tumblr. This feature has been successfully used to host local as well as countrywide events and some artists are even finding it useful on the international market. The possibilities are endless with this exciting feature from Facebook.

That said, you don’t just wake up one day, take your smartphone and hit the “GO LIVE” button! If planning to add a professional appeal to your record, a few things need to be considered. Lucky you! You got us to guide you through your journey of streaming for musicians. Without further ado, let’s dive right in and take this ship to sail.

Be Fully Equipped with the Right Tools

The most important thing to consider when streaming for musicians is to be armed with the proper equipment – this goes for both the video and audio recording. Streaming for musicians with nasty tools is almost similar to going on stage with rugged clothes and dirt on your body. You might have the sweetest voice or probably make music enough to bring the earth to a standstill, but with bad tools, it all will be pointless for your music career.

Microphone

Sure you have an iPhone with you but do not for a single minute think its audio recording capabilities can match up to an external microphone. A large diaphragm condenser will act as the cornerstone for your home studio. What’s more, some of these will come for absolute pennies; the BM-900, for instance, might be a good and affordable place to start since it will accommodate anything from your voice to guitars and even drums.

Audio Interface

Since you got yourself a good mic, you need to compliment that with an audio interface to enable analog-digital conversion and offer mic preamps. I started out with the Scarlet 2i2 which offered me a great choice with awesome Focusrite drivers that have lasted me the last 15 months!

Webcam

A webcam would offer a wonderful experience if recording from your computer. Should you decide to find a webcam, you need to source for quality brands such as those from Logitech since some brands will offer standard quality at outrageous prices.

Speedy Computer

Make sure you have a good internet connection to enable a smooth streaming process. Glitches in your computer connection will be transferred to your audience resulting in a poor Live stream. This will obviously translate to a lower turn up and you risk losing all your audience by the time you are through. You should aim for an upload speed of not less than 2 Mbps and if you seek to offer the highest quality videos with uninterrupted connections, then your speed should not be less than 5 Mbps. This is a credible site to view your Wi-Fi speed.

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Proper Prior Planning is Key

You can decide to spontaneously go live if you have all the proper tools. Nonetheless, it would be much better if your audience were pre-informed so as not to catch them unawares. It’ll also do you good if you have your analytics right which will help you know the appropriate time to post – this is especially the times when your largest number of followers are online.

If you are streaming on Facebook, you’ll be lucky since their newest algorithms will easily place your live stream on top of other feeds. Hence, you can be sure your audience will be notified of the event immediately you go live. That notwithstanding, you will be better placed if you had informed your audience earlier in advance.

You need to work on your timing when doing live streaming. If you go live for three minutes, you won’t have achieved your objectives really, will you? You obviously aim to be joined by a large number of people if possible. On the other hand, it’s pointless to record for anything close to 2 hours – I mean, come on! Are you shooting a movie or uploading some sweet songs?

Give Thought to Your Premises

You can communicate a lot from the venue which you choose to hold your live recording. Live streaming for musicians should be exactly as done in a studio. Don’t sit on your bed with your camera and expect to create a positive impression. Also, for unique videos, you need to focus on having conducive lighting. Your background needs to be properly lit to minimize instances of strain. Your location also determines the placement angle of the cameras which can be varied from time to time if you have a cameraman.

The Actual Streaming

Last, not least, you need to ask yourself this question from the very first moment you have the idea to go live – “What will I stream about?” The worst thing would be to start on your live streaming and get stuck just when you’re halfway. You need to have done prior practice as this will also enable you to time yourself.

Some people make a huge fuss out of live streaming for musicians. Here at our music school, we honestly believe the way for the future musician is to be found online. Live streaming for musicians will thus open up better avenues and give them better chances in the near future. It’s about time you got your game right early in advance or you will be the unfortunate musician without a market – we don’t want that, do we?

Ballet, as we know it today, was originally cultivated from the Italian artistic dances of the 16th Century. It has actually revolutionized from a change in dress code to the very moves being employed; it isn’t what it used to be at all. Dancers used to put on masks on top of layers upon layers of brocaded costuming and pantaloons. Moreover, ornaments and headdresses would grace the dancers with a sumptuous look. Nonetheless, it was quite hard to make any sort of decent movements in such attire – it required a lot of practice and grace too. It was during the Renaissance, around 1500 when Catherine de Medici of Italy married French King Henry II that ballet began its vast transformation.

The queen introduced early dance styles into court life in France and over the next 100 years, the official terminology and vocabulary of ballet were codified into French. Performances would, later on, become a spectacle to larger audiences including the very populace; at least, the common man could now have a taste of royalty.

Over the years, master choreographers have emerged who have come up with unique and opulent moves that have required years of practice to mimic. Some of these masters are still alive today and making huge contributions in the ballerina world.

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)

Even though many claimed that she had a limited set of technique, she had a unique charm surround her aura which led her to come up with the role of The Dying Swan, choreographed for her by Michael Fokine. This auspicious set of characteristics, later on, propelled her to becoming the first-ever ballerina to tour baller all around the world. When thinking of ballet dancers, you cannot simply fail to give a huge shout-out to the historical legends, those have made ballet what it is right now. Considering the dedication, tough training and strict discipline required to learn ballet, she can be called ‘the Iron Lady’ of her times.

Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev

When thinking of iconic figures, you have to give recognition to the specific ones who influenced some part of history as we know it. See, ballet was originally crafted as women’s dance, even though their male counterparts had little role to play. Even the dress code of male and female highly deferred with the male ballet dancers appearing in heroic costumes to bring out the image of conquering the evils that their dream girl faces.

Nureyev is an important figure in history as the Soviet defector is recognized as the force behind opening up opportunities for male artists in both ballet and modern dance. His skill and energy saw him successfully choreographing ‘Tancredi’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’. His dedication in Paris saw him appointed the Director of Paris Opera Ballet way back in 1983.

Alia Al Neyadi

She is referred to as the first Emirati ballerina and surely justifies whatever title that’s bestowed upon her. At only 24, the youthful ballerina from the Middle East has dazzled massive audiences in Egypt as well as Abu Dhabi. She was about to put her shoes down and consider a career change; but as they say, ‘Once a ballerina, always a ballerina.’ She couldn’t pass the chance to perform alongside the legendary Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. Watch out for this rising star in the Arab world as she combines beauty and cultural tradition to bring about perfection to the stew.

Misty Danielle Copeland

Meet the 36-year old American who has taken over the dance industry with a wave not common amongst regular dancers. Talk flexibility, talk of a body shape with the right curves, talk of moves more graceful than a dove’s – she just has it all. She has received massive feedback and love from different social media making her not only trendy but also commands a voice over the airwaves.

The classical ballerina achieved a fete unheard of, by starting out dancing ballet and becoming a professional dancer in just a year. It is right to say ballet was in the first African American Female Principal Dancer right from the very start.

Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov

The 70-year old Russian dancer and choreographer has climbed the ladders in his dance career to achieve a net worth of $45 million dollars. The Russian artist has over the years re-choreographed traditional ballet dance forms earning him respect among the Soviet Union. He later moved on to Canada in 1974 before relocating the States in a quest to explore contemporary dance. He has successfully made the list of top ballet male dancer in history and has a common name by which everyone calls him – Misha. The prodigy has gone right ahead and featured in several televisions and films.

Dame Margot Fonteyn De Arias

The biggest names in history have a way of sticking on people’s tongues, people’s minds and even souls long after they are gone. Margot Fonteyn makes a perfect illustration to that analogy – the Brit can bear me witness. She still stands in the ranks of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all times with her career spanning over four decades. Much of her time dancing she spent with The Royal Ballet before appointment as Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the company by Queen Elizabeth II.

Her passion for fine arts seem to have been a genetic transfer from the father’s side and got her motivation from her mother. She flourished in her career and later on formed dance partnerships with figures such as Robert Helpmann and Rudolf Nureyev. This would mark the hallmark of her career as she is seen retiring in her last appearance in Nureyev’s 1979 summer season at age 60. She died at age 71 having danced away her life; raise a glass to the British heroine!

Sylvie Guillem

When elegance is mixed with a touch of gymnast perfection, the result is Sylvie Guillem – the Principal Guest Artist of The Royal Ballet 1988-2007. She started out a gymnast and forged a successful career as a ballerina having formed contemporary relationships with important figures such as William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Mats Ek, Rusell Maliphant and Michael Nunn. 11 was the turning point of her career and what would, later on, determine the rest of her life as she started out in the Paris Opera Ballet School.

The ambitious ballerina went on to become an Associate Artist of London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre. As she approached her Jubilee years in November 2014; she announced her retirement from the stage.

Anthony Dowell

I present to you the English dancer, designer, and director of the Royal Ballet 1986-2001. Not only was he a master choreographer of his time, but he is also seen as an elegant and prosperous businessman who forged deals in the dance world and brought a new face to the Royal Ballet. He is seen to have partnered with Antoinette Sibley and went ahead to stage new productions of Swan Lake (1987) and The Sleeping Beauty (1995) for the company.

Natalia Makarova

Natalia Romanovna Makarova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and started out her training at the tender age of 12 at the Leningrad Choreographic School. She, later on, proceeded to join Kirov Ballet, became a lead ballerina and in the year 1965, she got herself her first gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition. The star would go through hardships and hurdles to win a Tony award for her 1983 superb acting. Even long after her retirement, she is still hitting the media scenes as an influential figure having been named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2012.

Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky

Sensitivity was amongst his definition; he had spectacular leaps with a sensitive Russian interpretation that made him amass a gentle poise throughout his career. The Russian knew what admiration from the ladies was, and he was never afraid to show off some of his unique moves.

The legend is connected with famous works such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty & Swan Lake in 1907. He gained so much popularity from his skill set that some actually referred to him as the “eighth wonder of the world.”

More felicitous figures have appeared on the screens and been captured on camera as better ballet dancers. The likes of Carlos Acosta, Gelsey Kirkland, Angel Corella, Tamara Rojo, and Benjamin Millepied are all characters that deserve a whole book of biography to better illustrate such talents. Welcome to the world of ballerinas and male ballet dancers who are sure to swoop you off your feet!

Fan of music and dance, discover your rankings:

• The 12 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
• 8 Books for Dancers
• The 12 Greatest Violinists of All Time

Dancing is more than just raising your arms and swaying your body from right to left. It’s an art, just like music and painting – one not only needs to learn the basics and perfect them but one is also required to learn continually. The learning process never ends and it’s looking all bright for dancers. We are in the digital age where everything is accessed at the click of a button. Artists can now position themselves better in their dancing careers with the help of podcasts for dancers. Not only are these easily accessible and easy to use, but they are also in plenty and can offer a limitless growth opportunity to those who put in the sweat.

Getting Started

The very fact that you’ve read this far suggests that you need help in developing your dance journey. This is exactly what we’re here for; to guide you along the way and hold your hand through it all. Without further ado, let’s look at the must-have podcasts for dancers in 2018-2019.

The Dance Podcast

Whether you want to become Ginger Rose, dance to the beats of Michael Jackson or hit the dance floor like Bill Robinson, one thing is for sure; you definitely have big dreams. When big dreams meet big let downs and get a touch of authentic conversations, what do you get? ‘The Dance Podcast’! Here, dancers get to listen to interviews by renowned dancers and the most successful choreographers as they narrate their ups and downs in the industry. You just can’t miss out on this!

Seek Sick Sound

This is an online French magazine which does so much more than just organize podcast series; they also publish articles on electronic music as well as organize exciting events in Bordeaux. Considering the sensational selection of international artists who rock this platform, you will be gutted to miss any of the podcasts, especially if you’re into any sort of electronic music – dubstep, ambient, techno, house, experimental, industrial and noise.

Pas De Chat

If you’re a fan of ballet, you’ve probably heard of Barry Kerrolis of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Remember when we said there’s more to dancing than just learning the moves– well, this dancer has added a freelancing career to his portfolio and talks about all there is when it comes to dancing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re battling with your emotional health or beating yourself up on choosing the ideal dance show – Pas De Chat has you fully covered.

New Books in Dance

Geeks also can end up becoming the best dancers – you’d be surprised what those shy nerds have hidden up their sleeves. So, if you’re a fan of reading books and you’re also into dance, this podcast is the perfect go for you. It features exclusive interviews from dance scholars on their new books.

Pod De Deux Podcast

Podcasts for dancers can be about anything pertaining to dancing. When you get a platform that keeps you updated on the latest happening in the dance community, you just can’t help but appreciate technology. This podcast will feature relaxed conversations with dance-makers, choreographers and administrators as they explore the current trends facing the modern day dancer.

Balancing Pointe

Ballet dancers can further expand their minds during their downtime with this podcast for dancers. It targets a wider audience and hence interviews dance professionals from different walks of life as they narrate their experiences in bringing ballet to life. Quite informative if I may say and ballet dancers can gain a whole ton of benefits by keeping up with this series.

DOODcast

This is a peculiar podcast series that has offered an internationally psychedelic feel over the years. It’s based out of East London and is put together by well-known local DJ Fitz, Dalston-ite, McAndrews along with Bible Mike. Occasional guests also access to these airwaves including Animal Collective and Brad Truax. It is unique since each episode has its own concept usually outlined in the name with a one-sentence introduction. Here, you get to enjoy everything – from Palaysian or Portuguese music to reggae, Bob Dylan and even Dutch jams from the 70s! It doesn’t get any cooler than that. Download the tunes from iTunes or over the web.

ABC Music Podcast

“A Beautiful Collection” of music is yet another Dutch podcast that publishes its series on a monthly basis. Unlike other podcasts, this isn’t made by guest DJs but by ABC Music collective. They also include monthly charts of favorite music which contains all the hit songs of the month.

Ask Megan

New York City Ballet principal Megan Fairchild is quite a popular icon in the American music scenes. This artistic ballet dancer seeks to impart others with ballet knowledge and provide challenging solutions to tricky problems, especially in ballet. It all goes down in this podcast for dancers where you get a chance to ask questions and she answers them on a weekly basis. Talking of Megan Fairchild, it’s probably fair we also mention Becoming Ballet – another one of her popular podcasts that guide beginners and upstarts in their journey through ballet. No more need to go through the pressures of an apprenticeship alone – Megan’s got your back.

Beats in Space

From being a legendary radio show to a record label, Beats in Space has it all. For 15 years, Tim Sweeney has created and maintained a music scene that can’t be likened to any other. This can all be seen from the affluence and influence on the masses and even artists. In the ideal sense, Beats in Space presents itself as the only true podcast in its original sense. You will find all sorts of American independent and club hits here.

Conclusive Thoughts

As already seen, podcasts for dancers will do much more than just improve on your knowledge about dance and music. You will also benefit by staying up to speed with all the latest happenings as you listen to people’s experiences, hurdles and the manner in which they emerged out unscathed. You will need to learn music too.

So, which podcast for dancers appeals most to you?

Dancing has not only become a passion for many people but a career as well. Many people are pursuing full-time dancing as choreographers or simply world-class dancers. The beauty in it is that you can do this in the comfort of your home without even having to spend much on a trainer. Singing, just like dancing requires just as much attention, training, and focus if one is to learn and understand the depths of music. Learning an instrument is a whole other field that calls for dedicated passion. Nonetheless, all these form the fundamentals of music: one with an impetuous passion to the same can seek to learn all the basics and still be masterful in all these art – it’s all music after all.

Learning Music by Self

Learning music is not as easy as it sounds: especially if you’re walking down that lane alone without instructors or paid music lessons to add that professional appeal. You will need to put in a ton of extra effort as you work on your vocals and perfect your skills. Nonetheless, a little help along the way won’t do you harm, will it? That’s why technology has come into the picture to make life better and your road less patchy. Consider using the following apps and note the difference in your training:

GarageBand

iPhone and iPad lovers have in the last 14years been lucky to have a one-stop studio where they can record their music on the go. It comes with virtual instruments that will assist you in creating a beat like a real pro. Other features include live loops, multi-touch gestures to play the instruments, and a sound library for downloading any other needed sound instrument. You can also plug in your guitar as you have your moments through classic amps and stompbox effects.

Udemy

This particular app takes learning of music to a whole new level. It takes a deeper approach and offers an additional 65000 courses at only 11 dollars. What’s more, it takes a general approach and also offers lessons in programming, design, writing, editing and so much more.

ABRSM Speedshifter

This is the ideal app for the ideal musician: it’s the first app you should consider having if you’re considering taking music learning to an elevated level. The app basically enables you to shift the speed of any audio track without necessarily altering the pitch. This enables you to conduct musicals and slow practices as you try to match up with the instrument of your choice. This paid app has received 5-star ratings from customers who have successfully perfected the guitar with its help.

Music Tutor Sight Read

We shouldn’t have mentioned all the above without considering the beginner – the same way you can’t skip to your fifth grade without having gone to kindergarten. This app will make sure you have a lively time even as you get started on learning to read and write music. You have to minimize repeated errors as the app does not allow you to analyze your errors. Happy time answering the freaky awesome quiz questions in this quiz game app.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

Finding guitar Tablatures from trusted sources has continually been a struggle for most musicians. Most sources will either offer a limited set of Tablatures or won’t have the ones being sought. This app has come to change that: not only does it offer you the largest database for such tabs, it also comes in handy for drummers looking for different drum tablatures and chords. You’ll be lucky on this platform since you can save the app and all the tabs on your SD Card and additionally get offline access.

Musical Piano Pro

Those of you with no interest in playing the piano might think of moving on to the next app. Don’t be surprised to hear that this is a one-stop site for drummers, harpers, and many more artists. The app has a metronome, a drum kit, pipes, autoharp, and other features that should get your learning process on course. Acapella singers are also likely to have a convenient time as they get a backup in their pitching.

Mobile Metronome

You want to keep up with the beats especially when practicing on clarinets or the drum. Mobile Metronome comes in handy as it assists the artist by providing such things as the time signature, the click sound, and the number of beats. It’s completely compatible with Android with fine tempo tuning options ranging from 10BPM to 230BPM. What’s more, the volume is easily adjustable with a visual beat counter alongside Italian tempo markings. Users are particularly pleased with the app as it automatically switches off whenever there’s an incoming call.

Voice Training

There’s still another free music app that’s very similar to the Voice Training app known as the signature. The app takes your music lessons on a higher note it highlights the exact note you should be singing with to match up your pitch. It also has a series of exercises that’ll get you working on perfecting your vocal range and even offers periodic tests that’ll grade your music capability. It doesn’t end there; it offers a set of singing games to keep you on your foot. signature is, however, only available to iPhone users.

Other Tips to Consider

Since you’re training on the move or at the comfort of your home, you need to learn music in style. Some practices will have you learn an instrument quickly and still refine your voice to unimaginable notes and pitch. First, you need to realize that whatever you’re trying to learn is a sacred art that requires a deeper sense of concentration. You, therefore, need to dedicate some time every single day for your lessons – if possible, do it several times a day to escalate your progress. Remember to take care of yourself by consuming the right foods and picking up beneficial habits. If possible, cut off harmful behaviors that will have a negative effect on your voice such as smoking. At the end of the day, the end will justify the means: sacrifice is the name of the game!

If you dance, you will like to discover the best podcasts for dancers.

Singing and coming up with simple constructions in the form of music is one thing – everyone seems to be getting in the market especially with the unlimited forms of digital marketing present as of now. Nonetheless, some upcoming musicians find themselves in that hot seat where they have no marketer, promoter or an agent to do the hard work. When starting in the music industry, one is expected to hassle and struggle up the ladder before they can be in a position to remain calm and composed.

Album promotion in Dubai is quite complex; young artists in Dubai seeking to make a name for themselves in the music scene often find it difficult when doing it alone. It should be observed that the Dubai market is quite fragile and sensitive – not all the methods applied elsewhere will promise you success here. That notwithstanding, we have compiled some simple tips that will help any young artist in Dubai – whether you’ve been in the industry or are just coming in. Apply the ones that make the most sense to you as you put the rest into consideration.

Start With Establishing a Brand

The best thing you could do in the music scenes in Dubai is come out with a different appeal. Everyone currently appears to be following the trend – there is minimal actual talent that gets people talking for long. Before you even start your music marketing and album promotion in Dubai, you need to have set yourself apart from the crème. What makes you different from the next young artist in Dubai who’s producing their album in the next studio? Is it the manner in which you deliver your music? Is your music itself auspicious or totally lackluster?

Establishing a brand may take quite a while – it may actually take the whole of your music career to fully establish the brand you have in mind. Nevertheless, it is entirely appropriate to present yourself differently or risk making losses instead. Let the people here recognize you for some particular trait, and you can be sure to always have a loyal audience. The worst thing you could do in showbiz is copying a certain style – not only will you appear as a complete forgery; you’re also likely to get more dislikes than appreciation.

Have Consistency & a Double Portion of Content

As you plan on your next album promotion in Dubai, remember to always come up with content. Nothing appeals to the bigger fan base than real content – having meaning steaming from each song you construct sets you in quite an enviable position. Once you combine this talent with consistency in producing your music – that’s a sure win for you. Young artists in Dubai have in often cases found themselves victims of first time hits followed by a pitiful deterioration which has a negative impact on their self-esteem. This is because most slacken their efforts after successfully producing a hit and when the next album comes out, it’s nothing in comparison to their originals.

This calls for constant vigilance and research on the part of the young artist. They should always be looking for new and better ways to make their next songs way better rather than focus on past successes. Laith Michel here at our school of music and dance suggests that the next biggest thing that seems to fail upcoming musicians after poor content is pathetic timing in album releases.

Accompany Your Website with a Mailing List

Every young artist in Dubai should embark on opening a quality website as the first thing once they decide to come out from hiding and display their talent to the world. A website gives you direct and easy access to most of your fans and also gives them a chance to know all that’s happening to you. What’s more, with time and experience, you can use your website as an educative tool to inform your audiences as well as keep them on the know on news and events that they should be aware of.

Having a website also gives you a chance to reach out to your fans directly through their emails. With this interaction, if nurtured properly, you’re only likely to amass more referrals as well as make more sales. Your mailing list and website should be top places where anyone can get access to your albums and other works. The key is to be interesting enough consistently to ensure your audience isn’t transferring all your mail to trash or spam.

Take Social Media by Storm

Social media could be the one master-key that could open up all your doors during your album promotion in Dubai. Nevertheless, social media has now become a game – you have to be a qualified player if you are to make any headway. You first start by monitoring several platforms and deciding the ones that work best to your advantage. This is the platform where the biggest numbers of your fans are to be found or otherwise, the one likely to bring in the biggest returns on investments.

Take Slow but Sure Steps

Once you’ve identified this platform, take your strategy to the next level by monitoring the ins and outs of the social base. Get to know the best times to post, identify how to best deliver your message and posts and above all, make sure you promote customer engagement by making your fans a part of the decision making process. You could engage them by asking them questions or even having them make suggestions for names that you’ll give your next album. Whatever the tactic used, as long as your followers are interacting with you on social, you can be assured of those sales as they will feel like a part of the bigger picture.

Have Pre-Orders Ready

It’s funny how you’ll find thousands of people rushing to make purchases of a commodity especially when it’s the limited version of the commodity. This same principle could apply perfectly for your album promotion in Dubai. This marketing strategy especially works best in Dubai especially if you have already developed a loyal following. This is therefore all dependent on your efforts coupled with smart tactics.

As soon as you embark on your album promotion in Dubai, ensure the albums are ready for pre-orders. This starts with creating a buzz about the album – as long as the word is already out there that your album will be released soon, you’re likely to start receiving calls for early orders. Doing this also gets you ready for the interviews you’ll be attending upon your album release. Wherever the interview will be held, whether on radio or TV, you’ll have your albums ready to answer any call to action.

Time to Go Live

There is a whole bucket-list of platforms where to digitally promote your music live. However, just because you have all the tools easily accessible doesn’t mean you should promote your whole album on digital. There is still the power of actual fan interaction and music moguls such as Jay-Z can clearly tell you so. The person-to-person experience creates a bigger buzz around your album than doing it all on the net.

Don’t Panic

It’s time to consider organizing some gigs to build up the pressure and talk about your album. Young artists in Dubai can undertake to play in the many music venues popping up by the day. Underground artists are actually gaining bigger attention than the already established artist because of such venues. Let the gigs and tours be affordable for the bigger majority since you’re still penetrating the industry. Don’t allow your fans to only see you on phone at all costs – after all, it’s true what they say; out of sight, out of mind.

Consider Other Media Too

Other than Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the likes, there are also other sources you could make your album available and still make some coins. Consider partnering with music providers such as Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon and such like. This gives you access to an even bigger following. You’ll be gutted if your playlists are found missing on such media during your album promotion in Dubai.

Bloggers & Press Help

A good number of people have built trust in bloggers and often depend on their word before making certain decisions online. This is especially so in Dubai where the bigger majority is to be found online and mostly sourcing for information across websites. Having a blogger in your album promotion plan will go a long way to stem your authority and give you credibility.

The Key is to Stay Within Your Limits

When choosing a blogger for your album promotion in Dubai, consider going for a writer who is within your own budget line to prevent extravagant spending. In addition to that, a genre-centric blog will give you access to your particular fan base – this is because the content will be specifically written to feature your music style.

Other than that, you can think of making use of radio as part of your album promotion strategy. Take the few interviews you’re able to source out and present yourself to the level best. While doing so, you can also come up with podcasts for your songs, make use of the local newspaper and magazines and if possible, get any chances you can to air on TV. It’s all about getting your face seen and your message clearly delivered.

Ever Considered Some Merchandise?

Yes, you’re releasing a whole album; I bet you’re hoping against all hopes it’s going to be the next hit album on our screens. Still, you have a chance to make more sales from more than just your album. You can accompany the album with pretty cool merchandise like giveaways such as CDs, printed stickers or even t-shirts. Whatever the merch is, make sure it communicates about your brand and speaks for you even when you’re not marketing it. This kind of bold calculated move goes a long way to cement your presence in your niche and even gives you better chances to win new admirers.

A Little Help?

You may still be stuck on how to come up with a quality website that should grow through time and other changing factors. Well, you may not yet be a qualified developer but coming up with a website is quite easy right now. Young artists in Dubai could make use of Bandzoogle to easily come up with music websites. You are allowed to modify it and configure it as you see fit. Moreover, you rest assured of a smooth time especially if you make use of the built-in promotional tools on this platform. With Bandzoogle, the young artist will enjoy a built-in mailing list, ability to receive pre-orders, social media integrations, events calendar, blog and so much more.

Build Your Connections

It’s quite understandable for upcoming musicians who are running it solo to often find themselves in tricky situations which could be avoided if they had certain connections. In as much as you are carrying out your album promotion in Dubai independently, it’s still crucial to build and maintain connections along the way.

As you progress through your musical journey, you’ll definitely come across certain figures, choreographers, producers, artists or even designers who might come in pretty handy along the way. It’s actually advisable to even keep a close connection with the fans – especially the very loyal ones as they may be the very ones to connect you to your destiny.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Connections

In other words, be willing to connect on a genuine level and maintain those relationships. You just don’t know where you might need the help, or even where the help might come crawling from. This calls for humility, respect and good communication skills as you relate with your followers. Connections will especially come in handy in the Dubai setting where it’s a common thing to see people helping each other discover their full potentials in the business world.

In the midst of your album promotion in Dubai, ensure you don’t lose of the actual vision and remain on course. The main mission is to see your music career scale through unimaginable heights – whatever you do with your success is entirely up to you. All the best young artist!