Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – In a sold-out debate in Canada, former British prime minister Tony Blair lost to charismatic atheist Christopher Hitchens on the proposition that religion was a force for good in the world.

Blair, a Catholic convert, defended the proposition that religion was a force for good but lost to crowd favorite Hitchens who is terminally ill with cancer, before a 2,700 strong audience at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada, Friday night.

Blair mostly relied on the defense that although men have committed acts in the name of religion, many have been inspired by it to commit extraordinary acts of good.

He also said it was important not to condemn all people of religious faith because of the “bigotry or prejudice shown by some.”

When asked if Britain’s joining the Iraq war was inspired by religion, Blair, who advocated the measure, responded that it was inspired more by policy.

Hitchens, one of the leading “new atheists” and author of the bestseller God Is Not Great, disagreed, calling religion nothing more than “supernatural gobbledegook” that caused untold misery throughout human history.

He argued that once men assume a creator and a plan, we immediately downgrade ourselves as mere subjects in a cruel experiment before a kind of “divine North Korea,” a comparison that drew widespread laughter from the audience.

Tickets for the event were sold out weeks in advance, even at jacked-up prices on e-Bay, owing to the high-profile celebrity status of the debaters and the controversial topic. The debate was also trailed on the front pages of some Canadian newspapers and covered by local television.

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So, fire up the barbecue grill, look up at the fireworks, and strike up the band as we reveal the secrets behind the most influential nationalistic musical moments of all time.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key, 1814.
Schoolchildren in America all learn how Key watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and so admired the courage of the beleaguered American forces that he wrote four stanzas of “The Star Spangled Banner” (only the first is usually performed). Key based the melody on an English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The song has only been the national anthem since 1931, and there was a strong movement to replace it with one of the other songs on this list.

“America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” Samuel F. Smith, 1832.
The music was composed in the 1700s, sometimes attributed to Henry Cary. First popular in Great Britain as “God Save the King (Queen),” the song became bi-continental in 1832. Modern audiences have been greatly moved by the R&B version by Ray Charles, a truly wonderful blending of emotion with what musicians call “the groove.”

“Rally ‘Round the Flag,” George F. Root, 1862.
Written for the Union army and its supporters during the Civil War, the song was hugely popular in the North. This didn’t prevent Confederate troops from writing their own lyrics and singing the song throughout the South.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Louis Lambert, c. 1863.
Lambert was a pseudonym for Union Army Bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore. His lyrics, set to an old Irish folk song, were popular through the whole Reconstruction Era (1865-1896). It appears in an extended instrumental version on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s film “Dr. Strangelove.”

“Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia W. Howe, 1861.
Howe is another lyricist who succeeded by utilizing a pre-existing piece of music, in this case a camp meeting tune of the 19th century (which also became “John Brown’s Body”). The profound power of the words combined with the compelling melody cannot be denied, and it was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

“Overture: 1812,” Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1880.
Patriotic music doesn’t always revolve around the July 4th celebration, or even refer to the USA. Tchaikovsky got Russian hearts a-pounding with his “1812 Overture in E Flat Major Op. 49,” written to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his country’s victory battle during the Napoleonic Wars.

“Semper Fidelis,” John Philip Sousa, 1889.
Popular ever since it was first performed, the effective and spirited tune takes its name from the U.S. Marine Corps motto meaning “always faithful” and is dedicated to the Marines.

“America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, 1895, 1904, 1913.
Originally a poem that Bates twice revised after its first publication in 1885, “America the Beautiful” was sung to several different melodies. The song associated with it today is “Materna,” composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882, but it was also often performed to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“Stars and Stripes Forever,” John Philip Sousa, 1896.
Composed on Christmas Day, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has become the country’s official march (US Code, Title 36 Chapter 10). Sousa wrote lyrics to the song, but they are little known today (sample: “Let martial note in triumph float / And liberty extend its mighty hand / A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers, / The banner of the Western land.)”

“Yankee Doodle Boy,” George M. Cohan, 1904.
“You’re A Grand Old Flag,” George M. Cohan, 1906.
“Over There,” George M. Cohan, 1917.
Known as “the man who owned Broadway,” Cohan was a superstar before the term was coined. While his film biography is called “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the title of his first big tribute to America is actually “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Cohan excited U.S. audiences again in 1906 with “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” although the original line was “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” It was America’s entrance into World War I in 1917 that inspired Cohan to write “Over There,” for which he received a congressional medal.

“God Bless America,” Irving Berlin, 1938.
The prolific Berlin (900+ songs despite being unable to read music) originally wrote this song right after the first World War, but did not complete it until just before World War II. Kate Smith first performed it during her radio show on Armistice Day, 1938. An immediate sensation, the song was often suggested to replace the “Star Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Jimi Hendrix, 1969.
The legendary guitarist took the stage near dawn on the final day of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The 13th song in his hour-long set was an incendiary rendition of the venerable tune. In a performance that was somehow savage and grand at the same time, Hendrix wrestled new levels of emotion from the song and generations have never heard it quite the same way again.

“Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola, 1979.
The music in question is “Ride of the Valkyries,” from Richard Wagner’s opera, “Die Walkure” (1854-56). The composition fit perfectly into director Coppola’s nightmarish vision of the Vietnam War. The sequence, featuring a helicopter attack at dawn, never fails to raise the emotions of viewers.

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If you live in or near New York or LA, this guide will be easy to follow step by step. But if you don’t, do not fret. You will be amazed at how many small music companies are thriving in practically every city and state.

Policy note – Due to policies, larger companies need to employ only students enrolled in college looking to get credit. So, if your internship is not for credit, check before you get your heart set on a position you may not be qualified to fill.

YOUR FIRST LESSON

TWO WORDS THAT APPLY TO EVERY MUSIC INDUSTRY RELATED INTERNSHIP: NO PAY

I know you are spending a fortune to go to college but here is the reality – 99.9% of all music business internships are unpaid. I know it does not seem fair but the truth is there are so many people looking to get started that payment is not usually offered. So if making money is on your goal list, you will need to get a second job to feed your passion around music. Don’t let a little thing like money keep you from your dream.

OK, so now that you know you will be working for free and probably paying your college to get credit – so actually you will be paying to work – make it something you want to do!

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST

Search your mind. Ask yourself what part of the music business do you want to be in? Is it Marketing, Radio, Publicity, Online Marketing, Touring, or A&R? You may not know the answer to this question yet and that is alright. You are not supposed to know until you get some experience in a particular area. BUT if you don’t specify what you are looking to try, the people in charge of hiring you will have NO CLUE where you will fit or how they can fit you into their business. So having a list of general areas of interest is a necessity.

To get a working knowledge of what different parts of the music industry are available, here are two suggestions:

1. Buy All You Need To Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. This fabulous book is still after all these years the bible of the Music Business, and it will give you a great breakdown of the key positions and the general overall makeup of the industry as a whole. Just leaf through – you don’t have to read the whole thing cover to cover.

2. Do Online research. There are countless articles available advising musicians how do tackle their own careers. So to do your research, put yourself in the artist’s shoes and start surfing and learning! If the articles resonate with you and seem interesting than you have found a good match.

Create a list of 3-4 areas that you can work in (if you only have 1 that’s OK too!).

General Music Industry Categories

Large Record Label (i.e. Sony, Warner Music, Universal, etc.)

Specify a department:

A&R

Promotions

Publicity

Marketing

Licensing

Radio Station

Specify a department:

On Air

Producer

Sales

Promotions

Marketing Firm – There are many genres within:

Street Marketing

Online Marketing

Tour Marketing

Specialty / Lifestyle Marketing

Small Record Label (you probably won’t need to specify department)

Publicity Firm

Management Company

Booking Agency

Radio Promotions Company

Music Venue

Concert Promoter

Production Studio

Publishing Company

Film & TV Licensing

Music Website – Good for techies or writers or designers

Music Magazine / Webzine – Good for aspiring journalists

STEP TWO: MAKE A DREAM LIST OF COMPANIES & ARTISTS YOU LOVE

Research as much as you can in your chosen field. Again, think like a musician. There are a million resources available for musicians that list companies that help support them, and they all have websites that clearly show what they do and who their clients are.

If you love a specific band or artist, look up whom they work with and put those companies on your list because nothing is more thrilling and satisfying than working for your FAVORITE artists and bands (I still get a thrill out of that and I’ve been working in the music industry for 14 years).

STEP THREE: ROCK YOUR RESUME

Next, create the MOST AMAZING resume you can put together. There are many websites, books, and even your career counseling office at school that can instruct you on how to do this so I’m not going to get into much detail here. But please heed this advice:

Be Concise – one page only

Be Detailed – What did you DO at your previous jobs that are listed? These should express your talents.

Be Interesting – Include personal touches and hobbies or special interests

Tip – the music business tends to be a bit more informal, so you have a little bit more room to play with your resume and make your personality shine through more than you would on a “corporate” resume.

STEP FOUR: RECOMMENDATIONS RULE

This next piece of advice is a little bit non-traditional as well…I call the first people that have great reference letters in for interviews first!

Call an old employer, a professor, or a person in your life who can write you a spectacular recommendation letter. If you can ask the person writing the letter to mention strengths that will be cohesive with the job, you want this. It will really make you stand out.

STEP FIVE: START APPLYING

Now that you have your list, there are three places you can go:

Straight to the companies of your dreams that you have discovered – in these cases, they may not be advertising for interns so you need to cold call and ask first if they would consider accepting a resume (be excited and tell the truth that you found out about their company and you would love to be considered). Then ask to whom the resume should be addressed.

Websites where employers post for interns – We use EntertaimentCareers.net, and at any given time there are plenty of internships available on it.

Your college’s career office (Don’t count on them as your main resource – my best interns found me by looking online).

STEP SIX: THE GOLDEN RULES

NEVER EVER send a resume without a cover letter. It’s totally unprofessional.

Include the NAME, ADDRESS, COMPANY NAME, and INDIVIDUAL’S NAME on each cover letter, and CUSTOMIZE each letter FOR THAT SPECIFIC COMPANY. Yes, this will take longer but it will also get you results. If it is not obvious CALL and politely ask!

Note: Out of the 150 resumes I just received on my last round of hirings, only three people put my company name on the cover letter and wrote “Dear Ms. Hyatt”. And

100% of all of these letters mentioned in the first paragraph that the candidate had excellent communication skills – and I thought are you kidding me??? If you are so excellent at communicating, how come my name was not mentioned ONCE? The letters that really annoyed me and made me never want to meet the candidate were the letters that said “Dear Sir” (I am a woman) or “Dear HR Dept” or even more gross: “Dear Hiring Committee” (I’m the only one that makes decisions at my company about hiring, 25 seconds on my website would teach you that).

Mention some things that relate directly to the company you are applying to – the names of the artists, your passion about what it is they do, how you became interested in music, etc.

Please for the love of sweet God above DON’T write any of the following lines:

“I have excellent communication skills.”

“I have loved music for as long as I can remember, since the day I was born.”

“I believe I am the perfect match for your company (unless you say WHY).”

“My extensive background in music…” OK, if you are under the age of 25 you DON’T have an extensive background (an extensive background is 10 years or more).

DO write the following lines (if they are not the truth of course don’t write these!):

“I have been a fan of (artist’s name this company works with here) since (year/concert you attended, etc.).”

“I have always wanted to learn about (company’s specialty here) and a position at your company would provide me just that opportunity.”

” I have (the real #) of friends on (MySpace/Facebook/Bebo/any other cool social networking site here”

If you are applying to a marketing or PR firm that involves an online space, HIGHLIGHT how many MySpace and/or Facebook friends you have, and if you are on other new social networking sites or on Second Life. This could be your golden ticket! Everyone likes a well-connected intern. It’s a huge asset!

“I have already had some experience with (booking, promoting, etc), and would love to expand on what I have already learned at (school, from volunteering etc.).”

STEP SEVEN: SEND A PHYSICAL COPY OF YOUR RESUME

Most of these websites give you an interface to go through and you submit your resume straight to them via the Internet. Definitely do this and IN ADDITION if you can fax or mail in your resume, I highly recommend you do this as well (remember to address with a specific person’s name!).

STEP EIGHT: TREAT EACH RESUME LIKE A LOST PUPPY

Back to my 150 candidates from this past month – NOT ONE called to follow up to see if I had received the resume! This not only mystified me but also annoyed me to no end.

So – a few days after you send the resume, CALL to follow up! This is a great way to stand out in the crowd because NO ONE ELSE IS CALLING – trust me, I know.

Even if the website says “don’t call us, we’ll call you” you should call and politely ask if your resume was received because 100% of everyone I know in the music business is so busy that they don’t have time to always follow up with the deluge of resumes. This could be a missed opportunity to land a job!

STEP NINE: AT YOUR INTERVIEW

So, you followed my steps and you got an interview set up? Wonderful!

If you get three or four interviews, go to the one that you are least interested in FIRST to sharpen your interview skills.

THE DAY OF – CALL first to confirm your interview. It’s professional and a great way to stand out.

Be 10 minutes early (not more), and remember the music business is casual so a three-piece suit is highly discouraged. I suggest business casual.

Bring a book or a magazine in case you have to wait.

Bring two copies of your resume, cover letter, and recommendation letter as well as some writing samples (if applicable – even if it’s a paper you wrote about the music business). This is interesting and it sets you apart again!

Don’t be afraid to ask questions like What does a typical internship encompass here? or Do you have some specific projects I might be working on?

With most internship interviews I do, I always have to ask: Do you have any questions? And it always leaves a weird taste in my mouth if they have NONE – even if you ask how many days the company is expecting interns to work and what the hours would be. At least you are establishing a dialog! I suggest preparing 2-3 in-depth questions that you have researched by looking online at this specific company and come prepared!

Tips

The smaller the company, the more work you will probably end up doing and the more experience you will gain – it’s just the nature of the beast.

If you don’t like the person that interviews you, DON’T take the job – trust your instincts!

Don’t ask if the internship will turn into a paid position. You are in charge of being the most awesome intern that they ever had. This will lead to a job but first you have to prove yourself!

STEP TEN: ALWAYS FOLLOW UP!!!

Even if you HATED the interview, ALWAYS send a thank you email to follow up (or better yet a CARD!) to say thanks for taking the time to interview me! If you really enjoyed the interview, SAY SO and WHY. And don’t be afraid to say “after meeting you I am even more convinced that I would like to work with you!” Flattery WILL get you (almost everywhere).

I hope that these tips turn into a winning internship experience, and I would love to hear from you and find out how this guide worked for you – please email me at talkback [AT] arielpublicity.com

I may even publish your story!

Author: Ariel Hyatt
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Actually, it has been five decades when this type of music has found its way to the ears and perceptions of the general public. The very first musicians who have incorporated the music of Christianity and spirituality have been questioned and criticized by many.

They have been questioned and criticized for using the music of God to create money. But to the critics misperceptions, this is the other way around. They are definitely using their talents and skills to display and spread the name of God to the world. One way or another, music has definitely become one way of reaching out to the hearts of the people.

Just like the mainstream forms of music today, the Christian music was also sub divided into genres: Hip-Hop, Gospel, Rock, Soft Rock, Pop and Country. The contemporary forms which are the pop and country music are the first ones to be exercised. These are referred back then as the Jesus music due to the religious inclinations of the music back in the 1960′s.

By the year of 1990′s the music of Christianity has been growing widespread and has become appreciated by the people. today, the wide range of several beats is available to compliment the listening tastes of the audience. Hip-hop, rock and soft rock are for the people who would like to have the up tempo beats. Pop and country music on the other hand are used for easy and smooth listening. Gospels are the ones that focus on the listener’s soul with exceptional insights about the messages of God.

Today there has ben a wide spread grace of the Lord as you can easily listen to the musioc of country Christian music by simply clicking on the button on your mp3 and iPod. Artists and bands that you can use are catually available in a variety. These artists are Daniel Ray, Lady Dameron, Phillip Paris, Randy Travis, The Statler Borthers, Jade Sholty, Glen Campbell, and so much more.

Music has certainly become ventilation for all the feelings and the emotions that we cannot simply express out by speaking verbally.

So the next time that you would like to soothe your ears, you can also soothe your heart and souls with the help of the Christian country music.

The earliest music was probably connected to religion according to historians. Long ago, people believed the world was controlled by a variety of gods. Keeping the gods happy was deemed very important to survival. Singing was among the first things humans did to show respect to their so-called gods.

Singing is still an important part of most religions. Buddhists, Christians, and Jews all use chants and/or songs in their religious ceremonies. The Christian Bible instructs those who love God to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord…” and other religions provide similar instructions. If you have ever sung a song – religious or otherwise – you know that singing is fun. The feeling of joy that comes from singing must also have made ancient people feel happy.

Singing was also done before with different activities. Another time people sang was when they worked. One of the best examples is the mining activity of Snow White’s seven dwarfs. Soldiers likewise sang as they marched into battle. Farmers sang one song as they planted and another when they harvested. Singing made the work less burdensome. People used the tunes to pace themselves. Sometimes, they followed instructions through songs.

Music brings entertainment so as singing. Today’s singing compared to ancient times’ is more polished – from an a cappella to a more different singing accompanied by musical instruments. With a tradition conventionally taught by the ancient people to many generations, music schools provide advanced teaching principles and learning techniques to aspirant musicians and singers. If before, it was purely imitating the ways of the elders; now, developing your own creative style through music teachers is highly recognized and appreciated.

These music schools or centers use music teaching tips so they can simply help their students learn music. Music teaching tips tackle the different ways of furnishing music knowledge to students in the perspective of the educators. Music learning has always been easy with the help of the people who know more about it – the music teachers. Certainly, that what music schools mainly offer.

The advantage of readily available music teaching tips is that teachers do not have to improvise teaching techniques to their class. The tips themselves are techniques and just have to be enhanced for outputs that are more effective. These music teaching tips focus mainly in playing instruments, singing, and other related topics.

It can be said that ‘music teaching tips’ are also ‘music learning tips’ for when teaching is learned, learning is most likely to follow.

•    Classical music
•    Devotional music and
•    Other music genres.

Classical Music:
Classical music is a complete music structures with 12 tones and 7 basic swaras like the most melodious Sa, Re, Ga,  Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. The Indian Classical music is monophonic, formed by a single melodious raga and rhythmically followed by the beat notes or Tala. Each melody revolves around different moods or seasons and they are even based on the gender characteristics. Thus ragas are voices methods of adopting the self to the different moods or behavior patterns of the day. The basic philosophy behind the Indian Classical music is the reach to the main goal of self realization through meditation. It is based on Ragas and beat rhythms.  Ragas are one of the  acoustical methods to evolve one self to the moods and the different spheres of life is a way of meditation aiming to draw  oneself closer to the nature. These ragas have such innate power that these compositions meant as an invitation to the rain have actually poured the unexpected showers.

The classical music has two basic forms:
1.    Hindustani classical music &
2.    Carnatic music

1.    Hindustani classical music: This originated during the 13th and the 14th century A.D. in the northern India. It has its origination from the Vedic philosophy and the Hindu religion traditions; it has some resemblance from the Persian music and the Moghuls music. The version starts with an introductory with a short 2 minute aalap to a long 30-40 minute piece. Rhythmically the music becomes fast and it is then joined by the percussionist. The musical instruments utilized to make these tunes more melodious are Tabla, Sitar, Taanpura, Flute, Shehnai and Sarangi.

2.    Carnatic music has originated in the Southern India. The ragas in this music are short and fast paced.  They start with versions seeking Varnam, followed by asking blessings. Carnatic music has a most theoretic and rigid musical structure.  They have ragams, rhythm beats followed by the raga theme.  Carnatic music is more vocal centric. The instruments used in the Carnatic music are Veena, Mridangam, Kanjira and Violin.

Devotional music
Kirtans and Bhajans are oral versions of musical songs devoted to God. Kirtans have their origin from the Vedic traditions; Bhajans on the other hand are more words oriented expressing devotion to God.  Kirtans are carried on along with the musical instruments and Bhajans are sung with profound devotion with the intention of moving more closer to the inner self. 

Other Musical Genres:
The other musical genres include the folk music, regional music. The regional music is the music which is played across the different states of India in different languages. Folk music are played along with the different set of musical instruments.