A Classical Christmas: The Classical Origins of Our Most Cherished Carols

Yes, even the off-key 9-year-old next door.

Though it was written 260 years ago, George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” is the most performed Christmas work in symphonies around the world. Oddly enough, it was composed while Handel suffered partial paralysis on his left side as a consequence of a stroke and took only 3 weeks to write! Even stranger was the cool reception it received during Handel’s lifetime. It was only through annual Eastertide performances to benefit the Foundling Hospital that “Messiah” was heard at all!

Music historians have recently discovered an embarrassing credit error. Cleric Isaac Watts published “Psalms of David,” based on Psalm 98 of the “Old Testament,” in 1719. In 1839 American composer Lowell Mason decided to set Watts’ translations to music and “Joy to the World” was born.

It’s easy to forget the classical origins of our most cherished carols when the 9-year-old next door is hollering “Batman Smells!” to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” To most children’s (and adults’) surprise those “dead guys with wigs” are responsible for many of their favourite holiday tunes.

The “Ave Maria Polka” is blaring on the radio, “Jingle Cats” are meowing “Greensleeves,” and the doorbell is chiming a shrill “Silent Night.” To the untrained ear this musical goulash may seem tacky and not, by any means, traditional. However, this festive household has been influenced by many sophisticated classical composers!

Other music greats such as Beethoven, J.S. Bach, Holst, Corelli, Saint-Saëns and Vaughan Williams are responsible for lovely Christmas Cantatas, Oratorios, and Carols we hear every December. Whether they meant to or not, these beloved artists have inspired generations of carolers.

The confusion came from Mason’s modest footnote, “From George Frederick Handel,” which was said to be a tribute to the late composer. A misunderstanding was soon accepted as truth and for 100 years Handel was given credit for writing the music to “Joy to the World!”

The original lyrics were written by Charles Wesley 99 years before the music, but were changed to suit the cantata. Ironically, Wesley had specifically requested slow solemn music for his words. To top it all off, Mendelssohn had made it clear that his music was for secular use only!

A Classical Christmas: The Classical Origins of Our Most Cherished Carols

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Hold On Tight to Your Dream

There’s an NBA commercial that utilizes 1970’s “Let’s Work Together” by the iconic LA blues-rock band Canned Heat. It works. (Interestingly, “Let’s Work Together” was written by Wilbert Harrison who himself made a hit by covering someone else’s song. He went to #1 in 1959 with Leiber and Stoller’s blues classic “Kansas City.”)

Dream talk is on the rise. Music that emboldens our dreams is what we want to hear. That’s what I’m playing. What are you playing?

The music from the 60s, 70s and 80s was largely about GROWING, about making the world a better place. We wanted to teach the world to sing, “in perfect harmony.”

Every once in awhile an advertiser will hit on just the right combination of music and video to make a great commercial. (I would say “TV” commercial but that is simply not the case anymore!)

Music from the 60s, 70s and 80s will get more and more use as an advertising vehicle, as companies see the positive impact these musical memories make on the public.

One of the coolest of all is the Honda Accord commercial that prominently features the ELO 1981 hit, “Hold On Tight to Your Dream.”

Hold On Tight to Your Dream

And some of the best of the most recent in this group are using the music from 20-40 years ago. The Jeep Liberty commercial featuring computer-generated wild-life singing Andy Kim’s (remember him?) 1974 #1 hit, “Rock Me Gently,” is one example.

Learn Guitar Online, Eric Clapton – 3 Tips For Your Next Jam Session

Eric Clapton songs that use this style of chord are Layla (the original electric version), Sunshine Of Your Love, Cocaine.

When playing fast Clapton songs or songs with fast chord changes use power chords.

D Aeolian mode contains = D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C

A most popular type of power chord is simply a two note chord that uses the tonic note and it’s fifth. It’s quite common to see these chords indicated as “5″ chord e.g., C5, G5, D5 etc

The secret to playing Eric Clapton songs is to understand how he chooses his chords and scales carefully to help him present a song. Here’s … tips to get the famous Clapton sound.

There’s two songs on the Clapton Unplugged album that uses this exact format. Both “Before You Accuse Me” and “Malted Milk” blues are based on this 12 bar blues form.

In the hands of an experience performer like Eric Clapton these simple musical raw materials can be very effective.

B /// | A /// | E /// | E ///||

Here is some examples:

Being able to identify a song by recognizing it’s form is a vital part of learning songs quickly.

Does Eric’s sound come from his Fender guitar? No, Eric Clapton could make just about any guitar sound great. Eric plays with a degree of emotion and sensitivity rarely found in rock or blues guitar players.

D minor pentatonic scale = D, F, G, A and C

Here is an example of a 12 bar blues in the key of E.

The Aeolian mode contains all the notes of the minor pentatonic with the addition of two extra notes.

Tip 2. Play power chords for fast chord changes.

Tip 1. Use the Aeolian mode in your solos.

A /// | A /// | E /// |E ////|

Learn Guitar Online, Eric Clapton – 3 Tips For Your Next Jam Session

The significance of the two extra notes is that they create a very important musical tension. The musical tension is caused by the distance of a semitone. A semitone is the distance of one fret on a guitar. When you play the D Aeolian mode on your guitar notice how there is a between semitone between the notes E and F and the notes A and Bb.

Tip 3. Learn to play the 12 bar blues.

Eric Clapton has the magic touch when it comes to presenting a song. If you want to play Eric Clapton songs on the guitar there’s a couple of things you need to keep in mind to help you produce Eric’s unique sound.

While most guitarist are content to play the minor pentatonic scale in many instances Eric’s preference is the Aeolian mode.

E /// | A /// | E /// | E ///|

Advice Guide Top Tips For Buying a Fender Standard Stratocaster Guitar and Prices

Advice Guide Top Tips For Buying a Fender Standard Stratocaster Guitar and Prices

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Are you looking for some advice upon which Standard Stratocaster is right either for you or for buying for a friend, perhaps for a gift for your son or even your daughter, or brother or sister or a family friend or business colleague?

One point worth bearing in mind is that some of the newer Mexican made models, for example the Classic Stratocaster and the Deluxe Stratocasters and also the Fender Artist Strat can be much more expensive, but a whole lot nicer too, than the Standard Stratocasters and these will rival the American models in terms of sound, feel and overall quality.

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Fender Standard Stratocasters, which are only made in the country of Mexico (MIM) – Fender Standard is the proper name given to a Mexican made Standard Strat. Therefore American Standard equals MIA (made in America and Fender Standard equals MIM. Some individuals prefer to simply call them Mexican Standard which is likely a better and more accurate way of describing them. These will have made in Mexico right on the font of the headstock except for certain vintage models, re-issues and deluxe models. The serial number in this case will start with MNx for the 1990’s models and MZx for 2000 models, where ‘x’ in this case stands for the last digit of the model year after which there will be five or six further digits and/or numbers.

Let’s look at this in some greater depth, for example a serial number starting with MN3 will then be a 1993 model and one starting MZ3 a 2003 model. These fairly typically will sell for about, give or take $390 to $450, this will include shipping to your door from online discount stores. Now and again you may run across a special issue where the price will be higher depending on the color options. If considering purchasing one of these, it really does pay to do some research first. Stock Mexican manufactured Standard Stratocasters usually sell in the ballpark region of $250 to $325 for these used stratocasters on eBay, making them very much so, a great gift idea, one which will no doubt be cherished for many years to come as well as giving many years of great pleasure to the end user, if not the ears of mum and dad! Much depends of course on model year and overall condition.

Certainly if you are patient, you will find a real beauty in this price range, although it is true to say that time waits for no man, so if an urgent birthday gift purchase, just have a look through the broad range of stratocasters for sale to find one which you like the look of. If it’s a very recent model with no issues at all, it may be worth a little more than the figure given just now, however as I said, this is just a ballpark, a general guideline. You can also buy a brand new Standard Fender Stratocaster 2008 model shipped to your door for about $390 to $450, much will depend on the color. If you do not mind buying a used stratocaster, with a few minor scratches etc, you should be able to find one at around $300.

Compare prices easily for all your guitars from a pool of sellers right across the North American continent!

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First Steps With Your New Guitar

First, here’s what you should NOT do: Worry… Panic… Feel overwhelmed.

Step 2: Buy two or more guitar instruction books with DVD’s.

Step 1: Buy a music theory book.

The practical tips in this article will get you started on the right foot. Think of them as “pre” beginner lessons.

Jamming with friends is great way to kick-start your playing. You’ll be encouraged to practice and they’re certain to understand the occasional missed chord or puzzled look thrown their way.

Fender has two very good instruction books with DVD’s, one for Acoustic Guitar (“Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar — A Guide for Beginners”) and one for Electric Guitar (“Fender Presents: Getting Started on Electric Guitar — A Guide for Beginners”). They’re practically interchangeable, so pick up only one. Each contains step-by-step instructions to learn tuning methods, essential chords, scales, practice tips, picking and strumming techniques, basic care of your instrument, and more. The DVD contains over three hours of material to help illustrate the book material, plus backing tracks for the exercises, an animated fretboard, and visual aids for things like finger placement, strumming, muting, and much more.

The bad news is: No one is born knowing how to play guitar

You unpack your new guitar with fierce anticipation. The light shimmers off the highly polished surface. Your new new amplifier and cables are ready to go.

Mary Poppins said “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

Step 5: Practice every day.

Of course, individual lessons are the best way to learn while avoiding bad habits… assuming you find the right instructor. Ask around and don’t be afraid to switch if you’re not learning and having fun.

Books and DVD’s won’t replace a good instructor, nor will they teach you in-depth guitar method, but they’re a great way to get started.

Here are a few recommendations: “Country Licks For Guitar” by Steve Trovato and Jerome Arnold features lead guitar licks from the masters of country guitar: Chet Atkins, Jimmy Bryant, James Burton, Albert Lee, Scotty Moore, more… a CD (included) contains normal and slow speed backing tracks. The “Instant Guitar Fakebook,” edited by Peter Pickow, contains over 150 songs, plus photo/chord diagrams. Songs include the melody line in music and tab, with lyrics. Have fun with “Front Porch Songs” – a collection of old-time songs, stories, and corny jokes collected by Wayne Erbsen. “The Greater Guitar White Pages” from Warner Brothers, is a huge collection of songs spanning a number of years and styles, from “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” by Herman’s Hermits, to Def Leppard’s “Photograph” and Smash Mouth’s “All Star.”

It can be tough, especially when you’re first starting out, but it’s the only way you’ll improve. At a minimum, work on part of your favorite material every day.

This is the most important part, enjoying your new guitar!

Step 6:Have fun!

Musician’s don’t like to admit it, but it’s hard to play well if you don’t understand the underlying concepts of music. You can probably get by, possibly for a long time, without knowing music theory. But you don’t want to “get by.” You want to enjoy the instrument. You want to understand how to play a melody, improvise a solo, or substitute a difficult chord for an easier one. It’s not hard, simply study a little music theory each week.

Step 3: Buy a couple simple songbooks.

You just came home from the store after doing your research, or you are the proud recipient of a prized gift.

There they sit.

I started in a classroom setting, where your mistakes blend into a mistake concerto. It’s not intimidating at all.

Step 4: Find a way of learning from others.

The good news is: Plenty of others have blazed a trail for you.

Now what?

So: Play with others… Really turn up the volume when you’re by yourself… Get a simple drum machine for accompaniment… Learn a very simple song and play it for all it’s worth… Whatever!

My favorite theory book is Sandy Feldstein’s “Practical Theory – Complete.” Though not specifically for guitar, this consolidated version of her multi-volume set is filled with well-paced material, clear explanations, and exercises to check your understanding (answers are in the back of the book). Work from front to back, or use the detailed Table of Contents to jump directly to a specific topic. It’s at bargain at about $10.

First Steps With Your New Guitar

A lifetime of learning and enjoyment await. Now go get started!

The best guitar instruction books for beginners include a DVD. The book will provide traditional written instructions, reference charts, a glossary and more. A well done DVD should include demonstrations, instruction, tuning help, plus drum and simple accompaniment tracks to play along with.

There’s a million of them out there. Buy ones with songs that are familiar to you and have only a few chords per song. Most include chord charts to refresh your memory. Don’t be too concerned if a few songs have complex looking chords: either come back to them later, simplify the chord by playing only the first three strings, or have someone show you how to change the key with a capo.

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Profiles in Classical Guitar – Julian Bream

Julian Bream is one of the greatest classical of the modern day. His tireless performance and work with the guitar has spanned many decades of personal performance and many centuries of music. He has bridged the gap between the past and the future by giving us an enormous repertoire of music in just about every modern mode of media from CD to television and film. And it is his particular gift for transcription and interpretation that has enabled him to bring five centuries of plucked instrument music into the modern world.

Learn More about Him

If you are looking to read more about him there is a newly published book called The Art of Julian Bream. If you are looking to experience some of his music you might want to start with his collaborative work with John Williams. They are a two volume set entitled Together and Together Again. If you want a more encompassing view of his music as it spans the decades he has a two volume CD set called The Ultimate Guitar Collection. The first CD is a compilation of many of his transcriptions and the second CD focuses on his works for Spanish guitar.

Profiles in Classical Guitar – Julian Bream

In 1960 he formed a group called the Julian Bream Consort. It was an Elizabethan period ensemble for which Bream played the lute. This Consort brought about a revival in interest of the Elizabethan era which is considered to be a period of time that was the absolute pinnacle of the English Renaissance. His work with this group earned him a Grammy award for best chamber music performance. This award would be the first of many awards which include three more Grammy awards.

Significant Contributions

One of the most important contributions he made to the world of the classical guitar was his development of a complete repertoire for performance. His transcriptions of works for guitar and lute span five centuries and he has particularly focused on lute works from the Elizabethan era and Spanish guitar works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He has also had many composers create works specifically for him.

Bream has embraced television and radio and used these media to bring classical guitar and lute to a mass audience. His 2003 DVD video profile Julian Bream: My Life in Music, which is a three hour long piece, includes interviews and performances and is considered to be one of the finest contributions ever made to the world of Classical Guitar. He has also created a British television series entitled Guitarra! It charts a musical journey across Spain.

Ambassador to the media of the Twentieth Century

He was born in 1933 and took up the classical guitar on his eleventh birthday when he received one as a present. He was already an accomplished musician having studied piano and cello but with the classical guitar and lute he excelled.

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The Art Of Practicing – How To See Real Results

There is a huge difference between playing the guitar and practicing the guitar. I can play for days quite happily but am I learning anything new? Not unless I stop myself and work on my weaknesses. And there are plenty of those trust me! Many years ago I wanted to learn licks from my favorite players. I would hear a line and transcribe it. Many times I found that those musical phrases would not come out in my playing and I asked myself why. It dawned on me that there were three possible reasons:

Let’s talk about these briefly.

Get practicing. Quality practice. Ask yourself questions. Look for the answers. Insist on results. This is the key to improving.

It’s important to sit down to practice and be really clear about what you are going to do during that practice time. Now, one thing that helped me tremendously was when I made a huge commitment to scheduled practicing. In other words, deciding that every single day, no matter what, I would sit down and dedicate exactly one hour to working at this instrument. The amazing thing I found is that my regularly scheduled practice literally fueled my regularly scheduled practice!

Practice is a constant struggle for many people. There is so much to learn and often so little time to allocate to it. For the jazz musician, clear thinking can be as simple as “I really like that Charlie Parker 2, 5 – how does he do that?”. Then transcribing the line, practicing it in all keys and working the phrase into your own vocabulary. The ’score’ as I like to call it is the ability to work it in to your own playing. I want to talk a little about that in a minute.

Sometimes a horn line does not necessarily fit under the fingers on the guitar. The line might sound just terrific on a sax but if I can’t play it on my guitar it’s not going to have the same effect. In fact quite the opposite! Everyone is somewhat limited technically (although there are a few players that keep my head scratching I must admit!), every player has a ceiling in their own mind and I think it’s perfectly OK to let some things go because they are just two gymnastic on the guitar. It’s of course relative to each player’s ability and comfort zone.

Now most folks stop right there and wonder why the phrase never shows up in their playing. The secret is to figure out exactly what chord (or group of chords) is being played underneath that line. After that, figure out what other chords could also be played underneath that phrase. Next, learn how to play that phrase everywhere on the fretboard, in different positions and keys. Finally and the most important, work the phrase into your own playing. To do this, start by improvising in any way that you normally might and focus on ways to connect that new phrase you want to play. The new phrase starts on a certain note and you will need to focus on that starting note in order to make a connection to it. Practice improvising freely and connecting to that new phrase, focusing on its starting note. Do this in all keys. Pretty soon you will know if the phrase is going to come out into your playing or not.

First, I think the most important thing to talk about is how to make best use of your practice time. There was a time when I started playing where I used to sit in my room and allocate 15 minutes to practicing scales and arpeggios, 10 minutes on technique exercises, 20 minutes on sight reading and 1/2 an hour on practicing my classical guitar repertoire. Why? because my teacher told me I had to. Years later once I started to study jazz guitar on my own I didn’t feel the need to be practicing this way. It wasn’t really benefiting me fully.

I have always believed that success, in practically any subject you can think of, is a direct result of “clear thinking”. That is, the ability to understand very clearly what needs to be achieved and the action to set about surmounting very necessary hurdles in order to reach those goals. Less than successful people are either not clear in their goals or for one reason or another give up along the way. It’s leveling that rough terrain, along with a clearly defined end result in mind that will get you there in the end. The success roadmap might go something like this:

The art of practice is a huge subject and musicians have written complete books on it. But I do believe the real success starts with clear thinking. Make a decision to focus on something specific. Here is a more detailed roadmap to take on board:

Regular practice clearly keeps your guitar technique on tip top form. There’s nothing like picking up the guitar and playing a few short runs and being on top of your game, simply because you are playing regularly.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? However, this clear thinking is all very well but it’s usually the thought required before step 1 (visualization) that causes problems. Very often the goal does not manifest in mind because the process is so overwhelming.

Does this make sense? What this means is that, the more I practiced, the more I wanted to practice. What started out as a committed hour turned into committed six hour sessions. Once I got into music college in London I remember waking up in the morning and practicing until I went to bed at night, remembering to eat on occasion. I was so fueled by the commitment to practice that the drive to play took over completely.

Great players really got to grips with practicing in the early stages. It became fascinating to them and the results they saw fueled more practice. It’s a self perpetuating phenomenon. By simply not practicing, the incentive to pick up your instrument diminishes over time. Then the excuses start to pour out in torrents. Then regrets. Then a very dusty guitar possibly in a dark attic somewhere.

1) Visualize. What do you want to work on – what do you want to achieve?

2) Plan. What exactly do you have to do in order to achieve that goal?

3) Action. Explore the subject in enough detail.

4) Surmount. Expect problems along the way – this is normal – don’t give up! Just level the terrain.

5) Score – making sure that the subject is fully absorbed and part of your new musical make up, unless you decide otherwise.

Occasionally I’ll try and work something into my music vocabulary and it just doesn’t feel like me. Some players sound great playing certain things and when I play them them they either sound too much like that other great player or I just don’t feel it. Music has to be personal, it’s OK to weed out stuff that you don’t want to use, even when those ‘weeds’ are a rose garden to others.

And so it is with practicing the guitar, or any instrument for that matter. In more laymen’s terms it’s more like “What the hell should I be practicing?”.

So do yourself a huge favor, first, make the decision to want to get much better at your guitar playing. Then once you have decided that, make a clear commitment right now and allocate a certain time of day to your guitar practice. If you only have limited time then give yourself what you know you can afford. Once you get your teeth into this system, if you don’t have more time, trust me you will want to find more time. You might just want to wake up earlier. The drive to learn will take over.

I started to have my own goals in mind that I wanted to reach. I wanted to learn to play like one or two of my heroes, but more importantly because I liked what they played. Even more under the microscope were certain melodic lines and licks that tweaked my ear and fueled me to transcribe or simply copy the way they phrased or ‘felt’ a phrase. Once I clearly had in mind what I wanted to achieve I could go about achieving it – I knew what I had to do.

1) I found the phrase too technically difficult to pull off.

2) It just didn’t feel like it belonged in my vocabulary.

3) I hadn’t fully explored the idea enough – perhaps I didn’t fully understand how to use it in a practical sense.

The last idea is something very important I think. That is the idea that when you work on some new vocabulary or a new harmonic idea, that you fully understand how to use it and just as importantly, how to work it into your playing so it comes out naturally. Let’s assume you are transcribing a lick on a CD you like. The first thing to do is to make sure you get the notes right. You might slow it down (there is plenty of software on the market that enables you to do this now). Whatever it takes, make sure the notes you are transcribing are correct. Then it is a matter of practicing that phrase so it feels good when you play it.

Quality practice is key. I find now I am older that, if I let myself, I can get more and more distracted because there are so many other facets to my life. When I make the decision to focus 100% on my guitar problems and how I can surmount them, I find I can get completely absorbed for hours once I get going. Sometimes it helps to avoid those distractions from the outset. Maybe turn the phone off!

The other wonderful thing about committing to regular practice is that it actually helps you to think much more clearly, because you start to see results. Once you start to see results the concept of learning is much less overwhelming and you are able to make decisions about what you want to work on much more easily.

Visualize goal => Surmount problems => Score

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The 5 Best Acoustic Guitar Solos

Some folks reading this article may be perplexed. When someone says guitar solo, everyone thinks of electric guitars and distortion. But truth be told, there were and are tons of guitarists out there that can shred on an acoustic.

5. Wes Montgomery – Impressions (If you didn’t already know, Wes played without a pick. Check out this song on youtube for an amazing demonstration of this technique.)

The 5 Best Acoustic Guitar Solos

3. Tripping Billies – Tim Reynolds (I really like the Live at Luther College Version)

1. Take Five – George Benson (Check out the Live at Montreux version on youtube. George Benson is natural talent at its finest.)

So, what makes one guitar solo better than another one? Is it the melodic content of the solo? Is it the technical difficulty of the solo? Well, if you have come to this article in search of an answer to this question, I am sad to have to tell you that I do not have one. However, like everyone else, I do have my own opinions and tastes and this is what this list has been generated from.

Now without further ado… The Five Best Acoustic Guitar Solos:

I do believe that lists like this have use. Many guitarists search online for lists like this, and I am not just talking about beginners. Experienced guitarists seek out lists like this even if only just to criticize them. I think that the ultimate purpose of these lists is to help spread the word about great guitarists and great solos that may have gone unheard of had it not been for the list.

4. Land of the Midnight Sun – Al di Meola (Al has some of the best right hand guitar technique out there. Check him out.)

2. Oleo – Joe Pass (Check out the version where he plays with NHOP on youtube)

One thing can be said about the developmental criteria of this list. The title is “best acoustic guitar solos.” I have tried to choose solos which demonstrate the possibilities of ACOUSTIC guitar. That being said, I have included guitarists who play archtops or hollow-body electrics, but I feel that because they are still producing a clean tone it is similar enough. I have included commentary on some of my choices. One last thing, please don’t email me about which guitarists I have forgotten. I understand that you have your favorites. Just post a comment and let us all know.

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Paul McCartney’s Experimental Side

Paul McCartney’s Experimental Side

McCartney was very adventerous as a musician. Along with The Beatles producer George Martin, McCartney was the guy behind a lot of The Beatles more adventerous arrangements and he was behind the reknowned “suite” on side two of Abbey Road. Again Lennon didn’t like that idea.

McCartney was also the brains behind a lot of The Beatles more “far out” ideas such as the whole Sgt. Pepper concept and the Magical Mystery Tour film and album. It was also the person who had the idea of using tape loops for John Lennon’s breakthrough recording “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

Too few people know about McCartney’s experimental music in the 1990s and in the 2000s. If you’ve never heard his work as “The Fireman” then I think you are in for a treat (if you like psychedelic ambient music that is.) In particular I recommend 1998’s Rushes. I also just found out that he’s planning on releasing a new album as The Fireman this year.

While Lennon is well known for his avante garde “Revolution #9.” Paul McCartney was actually the first Beatle to tackle avante-garde music with 1967’s “Carnival of Light.” Of course “Carnival of Light” has still never been released (many thought it would come out during the Anthology series but it did not.)

I often feel that Paul McCartney gets a bum rap with John Lennon receiving most of the credit as the “experimental Beatle.” This just isn’t the case. It was actually McCartney who was the one pushing the envelope with much of The Beatles more experimental music.

Experimental Beatle McCartney

Modern Experimental McCartney

2000’s Liverpool Sound Collage is another great example of how experimental McCartney’s music can get. Like with The Fireman projects, McCartney worked with Youth (of The Super Furry animals) on it.

If you look at a modern experimental psychedelic band like Ween I think you’ll see that they are actually far more influenced by the Paul McCartney side of The Beatles than the John Lennon side. McCartney liked doing things that were totally off the wall and weird like “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” I think Lennon actually missed the point of this type of music when he called it “granny music.” It’s not “granny music.” It’s weird music. And it’s really tripped out if you can dig on it.

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Jonas Brothers Concert, Movie, TV and Pop Music Stars of 2008

The Jonas Brothers will also appear in the film Camp Rock, which is said to be another High School Musical, so the band will sure to be selling out concert venues for years to come.

Jonas Brothers Concert, Movie, TV and Pop Music Stars of 2008

The Jonas Brothers are the latest hot ticket teen sensation to roll off the Disney mass-marketing machine. This band is not your run of the mill bubble gum pop band. Jonas is unique in that they band consist of three New Jersey brothers, Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas all of whom actually do play their own instruments. The band has released two albums and is set to release their third in the summer of 2008.

The Jonas Brothers were scheduled to begin filming their own Disney channel TV series J.O.N.A.S. where the brothers play part-time spies who have ordinary identities by day. The Hollywood writer’s strike caused the filming to be postponed.

With that postponement, the Jonas Brothers were able to schedule a Look Me in the Eyes concert tour for the spring of 2008. The brothers will be playing in concerts in smaller theatres all across the US. If you are a fan of the brothers, it would be a good idea to see the band now on this tour before concert ticket prices skyrocket for when they tour again in the fall.

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