The saxophone is a relatively recent invention - it was created in the 1840's to bridge the tonal gap between lower woodwind section and the low brass section! The saxophone - informally called sax- is conical shaped and utilizes a reed in the mouthpiece, much like clarinets do. The saxophone is a hugely popular instrument and is a member of the woodwind family, joining the likes of flutes, piccolos, and clarinets. Normally, the saxophone is made of brass and it ranges in size, depending on the overall pitch (tenor sax is larger than an alto sax and soprano sax, for example). If you are tinkering with the idea of playing an instrument, the saxophone is a wonderful choice.

Your child is probably extremely excited, because they are about to start participating in the school band by playing the saxophone like Yamaha saxophone or Blessing saxophone. However, secretly you are biting your nails, because you are not sure whether or not you can afford a saxophone. Well, luckily there are a lot of different options and ways to buy a saxophone for your child. An option is available for you to allow your child to participate and learn the saxophone.

Going To Kansas City

Different manufacturers of saxophones offer different prices for the same saxophone with a view to increase their sales. A decorated saxophone will be more expensive. Prices of saxophones may change any time without previous notification. Some manufacturers offer low prices for saxophones, inclusive of maintenance, service plan and additional accessories. Several shops offer saxophones at discount or wholesale prices.

While many know the reputation Taiwan has in the manufacturing of high-tech electrical components, few may know of the growing saxophone business based in Houli. Long known as the music capital of Taiwan, Houli is located in a rural township in northwestern Taichung County. This area is also known for sugar cane, soybean, grapes, wine, and iron plants. While the population of Houli is about 50,000, it produces an amazing 40,000 saxophones a year.

Woodshedding Monster

Cheryl Cole has hinted she may team up with fellow singer Rihanna to record a duet.

The Girls Aloud star said she had spoken to the S&M songstress about recording a track together.
Speaking to ITV2 in a behind the stage interview at The Brit Awards, Chezza said: 'I would love to do a performance with her and do a single with her. I would love to do a record with her. She feels the same.
'There could be wheels, there could be motions.'
The singer also admitted to being a big fan of the Barbadian beauty, saying in the interview she thought 'Rihanna was smokin' hot'.

One Pass is a payment system which lets users sign up to subscription-based services while taking a 10% cut. It will initially launch in North America, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
It will work on tablet devices and smartphones running Google's Android operating system as well as Google-related websites.
As this was announced by Google, Motorola Mobility chief executive Sanjay Jha let slip at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the search engine giant was close to launching its own music service as part of the imminent update to Android.
Motorola is expected to be one of the first companies to ship devices (the Xoom) running the new version of Android, known as Honeycomb, which is being tailored specifically for tablet devices as well as smartphones.
This move by Google comes just a day after Apple introduced new in-app subscription terms for content owners offering products on its App Store. Apple will take a 30% cut of all subscriptions delivered through the App Store but it will not take a cut of subscriptions with apps on its store where the billing relationship is direct with the service provider.
Apple's billing model has already been attacked by Rhapsody president Jon Irwin as “economically unsustainable”, claiming no subscription services have the margin to be able to hand over a 30% commission to Apple. Already rumours are circulating that this is a strategic play by Apple to blow services like Rhapsody, Rdio, MOG and Spotify out of the water ahead of its own long-rumoured cloud streaming/subscription offering within iTunes.

Beyonce has almost wrapped-up work on her next studio album, meaning the record could be out as early as this summer.
Singer and songwriter Sia revealed she has been trying to collaborate with Knowles on the follow-up to 2008's I Am... Sasha Fierce, but Bey has nearly completed the record.
Revealing how she got involved in the project, Sia explained: "I just said to all the producers, writers, everyone 'help me make this happen'.
"And then (producer) Diplo emailed me and said, 'where are you in the world right now? Would you be interested in flying to New York? I'm writing with Beyonce,' and I was like, 'Yesss!'"
When asked if her contributions will make the record, Sia told MTV Australia: "Well there's only one song left for this album, so I probably won't get on this album but hopefully the next one. That's my dream, that's my goal."
Beyonce previously promised the album will be diverse. She also revealed that the record will feature live instruments.

The cello is not most peoples idea of a glamourous musical instrument. Even in the world of classical music, where there have at least been pieces of music written specifically for it, it plays second fiddle (couldn't help it) to its sexier kin in the string section, the violin. Outside of the concert hall it receives even less recognition, for while instruments like the trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, violin, and even its larger cousin the double bass have become staples in the world of jazz, you don't often hear a cello leading a jazz combo or showing up in your average rock band.
What most people don't realize, save those who have taken the time to sit and listen, is the astounding variety of sound and the wondrous richness of tone a cello can produce. As a child my parents decided, in spite of an almost complete lack of aptitude, I should play an instrument as part of my education, and I somehow ended up paired with a cello. For three years I learned proper bowing and fingering techniques, but it was soon obvious I was no match for the demands of the instrument. I surrendered to the inevitable and stopped inflicting myself upon the poor long suffering music teachers in my school system. However, even my pitiful scraping of the strings were enough to convince me that in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing the cello would sound wonderful.

In 2001, drummer and vocalist Big Joe Maher suffered a fall that almost ended his career. But as the disc's titular track says, “You Can’t Keep A Big Man Down,” here he returns to the Severn Records fold for a delightful outing that swings from beginning to end.
Backed by a crack band led by pianist and producer Kevin McKendree, Maher takes a relaxed approach to a dozen tunes, with the playlist divided evenly between covers and originals. Maher’s influences are relatively easy to spot, but while he’s not redefining the blues genre through innovation, he manages to cover an awful lot of territory without sounding the least derivative.
"Good Man," a defiant proclamation of indomitable will, is a straightforward Texas shuffle, while “Evangeline” has an unmistakable New Orleans feel and “Nothin’ But Trouble” sounds like a lost T-Bone Walker gem. Among the covers there’s the brassy kick (courtesy of Dennis Taylor’s multi-tracked sax) of B. B. King’s “Bad Case Of Love,” with a rollicking backbeat that leans toward flat out rock ‘n’ roll. Taylor also adds irresistible oomph on a fine version of Jimmy McCracklin’s “I’m To Blame,” while Jay McShann’s “Confessin’ The Blues” remains true to its Kansas City jump origins, with McKendree’s rolling piano providing propulsive urgency.

When Steve Hillage walked into his first rave, he had an epiphany. As Oakenfold was bringing the set to a close, Hillage wandered into the “chill-out” room, where he heard his own Rainbow Dome Musik being played. This led to the formation of 777, or as it is now called System 7. Hillage’s use of ambience with a beat on Fire + Water has never been surpassed - not even by subsequent releases by himself.

Until now. I cannot get enough of Drums Off Chaos. This reminds me so much of what Hillage accomplished with Fire + Water it is ridiculous. In this case however, we have real drummers replacing Hillage’s programmed beats. The results are insanely great.

On one level the only sensible way to evaluate a film score would be to look at it as an organic part of the film for which it was written. A successful film score would be one that worked together with all the other elements of the film—the set design, the costumes, the acting and what have you—to create a cohesive work of art larger than itself. In theory the film score is not intended as an independent work of art. Still as has often been noted intentions aren't everything, and since much fine, even great music, has been composed to be played over love scenes and bloody battles, music that clearly seems able to stand up in its own right, the film score has become a significant standalone musical genre, much like for example the ballet suite. It is in a sense simply another variant on the idea of program music.
Some of the credit for this recognition of the form has got to be given to Charles Gerhardt's Classic Film Score Series of the '70s. Recorded originally for RCA with the National Philharmonic Orchestra in 1972, the first of the LP's was Erich Korngold's score for The Sea Hawk. Its critical and popular success led to other albums devoted to the work of a variety of composers many of whom are now household names: Dmitri Tiomkin, Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman and others. Sony Masterworks is now reissuing a number of albums from this series, six of which were released last October; six more covering the work of many of these masters will be available on the first of March. Among them will be Elizabeth and Essex: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

I currently have the lyrics to Justin Bieber’s hit song, “Baby” playing on a loop in my head.
“Baby, baby, baby ooh…baby, baby, baby ooh…baby, baby, baby ooh…”
Not cool, Glee. Not cool at all.
I have seen The Biebs perform on TV a couple of times, but never bothered to sit down and listen to his music. I had my own Justin Bieber when I was 16-years-old, but his name Brian Littrell and he was a Backstreet Boy.
When I initially heard that Glee would be getting Bieber-friendly, I must admit that I cringed. Upon remembering that this show is set in high school, and that Bieber is pretty much “the dude” right now, it then made sense that the kids in glee club would like his music.
So, how was Glee’s take on Bieber? Not bad, actually. I can’t even believe I’m about to say this, but after taking a listen to the lyrics and the melody, I have come to realize that Bieber has well-written and catchy tunes. This would be why the chorus to “Baby” has not left my brain.

Lenny Pickett is best known as the tenor saxophonist of the Saturday Night Live Band, he is one of the virtuosos of altissimo saxophone. The altissimo register is a technique that almost seems like a requirement for saxophonists today. It's based on harmonics and enables you to achieve notes above the normal range of the saxophone.