Joi Marshall: Life After Jade

The early 90s were the golden days of R&B music, with female groups dominating the charts. Between 1990 and 1993, the world was introduced to many hot new female groups including SWV, Xscape, and En Vogue.One of the groups that stood out from the rest was Jade, comprised of members Tonya Kelly, Joi Marshall and Di Reed. The girls had talent and enthusiasm, and upon the release of their debut album, Jade To The Max, a platinum selling album.In the girls' two album run, they scored many hits, with the group's biggest number, "Don't Walk Away" reaching #4 on the Hot 100 and going gold. Many people may also recognize the group for such popular songs as "Looking For Mr. Do Right," "One Woman," "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time IS Up)" and "Every Day Of The Week."Mind, Body & SoulIn their two album career, Jade had a platinum album, 3 top 20 hits on the Hot 100, and 6 top 20 hits on the R&B charts.Unfortunately, the group called it quits after their album "Mind, Body & Song" in 1994, tired of their label's abuse and its mismanagement of their funds.I was able to get in touch with Joi, who kindly agreed to do an interview about her time in the group Jade, as well as to provide us with updates on the going-ons of the other girls.Since the group's split, Joi has written a book about the music industry. Titled "Answers to the 20 Most Asked Questions about the Music Business," the book is Joi's effort to prevent young artists from making the same mistakes that Jade had made.In addition, Joi has an album in the works, expected to come out later this year. Blending gospel and R&B, Joi will be blessing the world with her beautiful vocals once again. But don't take my word for it all, find out what Joi has to say about her and the other members experiences.Interview With Joi MarshallR&B Haven: Hi Joi, to get things started, can you give us a brief overview of what you're doing today in life after Jade?Joi Marshall: Well, I just signed a new deal with Amen Records/EMI Gospel for my Urban Inspirational/ R&G album "Testimony & Praise." It will be released on September 25th. and will be available everywhere.R&B Haven: Can you explain how this album came to be, and tell us a little about the direction you took on it?Joi Marshall: I got together with Kip Wilson of the Machine Productions here in California and wrote and produced songs for the album. I wanted th album to have an R&B feel to it, and since Kip worked with Jaheim and many others in the business, I checked out his tracks, loved them, and decided to record with him.R&B Haven: The album is interesting in its style, described as being a "Rhythm and Gospel" album. Do you see yourself ever returning to R&B music or do you plan on continuing with this style?Joi Marshall: Well, I love music that inspires, so whether it's R&B or R&G, as long as the words mean something to me and I can encourage someone, then that's what I'll go with.R&B Haven: I saw on your MySpace, that you also wrote a book about the music industry, titled "Answers to the 20 Most Asked Questions About the Music Business." Can you give us a brief explanation as to what motivated you to write this book? Do you have any suggestions to young artists looking to enter the business?Joi Marshall: As I stated in the intro of the book, selling millions of records and still owing the label a million dollars motivated me to write the book. I suggest that young people AND their parents read my book. It's easy to understand and it's written for artists by an artist, so I believe I have a better take on what effects us. I wish more parents would understand the business so that they can look out for their kids, even if they have no desire to manage them. They can at least have a productive conversation with them.R&B Haven: How do you feel the industry has changed since you entered it in the early 1990s? Do you think there's any room for girl/guy groups to make a presence in the industry today?Joi Marshall: I think that the business is better in that the internet allows people to have a career whether they have a deal or not. I believe there is room for anybody who is good and who has the right machine to push them.R&B Haven: Do you know what the other members of Jade are up to? Communicate at all?Joi Marshall: Yes, we communicate frequently. Tonya has an interior design firm and is doing quite well. She had a degree in interior and architectural design before she joined Jade, so she's happily working on her other love. Di is on the road with Rod Stewart singing in his band and she is working on a solo project.R&B Haven: And of course, I have to ask as many visitors would kill me if I didn't. Is there any chance that we might see a resurrection of Jade or to see you join another girl group?Joi Marshall: I would never join another group and there is always a chance that we will record again. We love each other and support each other. If the right situation comes about, there is always a possiblity.R&B Haven: Thanks a lot for your time Joi, I wish you the best of luck in all that you do.Joi Marshall: Thank you it was my pleasure.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Matthew Fyffe is the administrator and chief content provider for the R&B site, R&B Haven, a site which features over 200 90s R&B Artist Bios.

Beginners guide to DJ'ing

When starting out as a DJ it’s a good idea to decide what type you’re going to be. There are two basic types:Mobile DJs for special eventsAnd DJs that work the club or bar sceneYou will need a larger cross section of music as a mobile DJ as you will be catering to the tastes of many mixed audiences. The cheapest way to find out whether DJ’ing is for you is to find a friend or local community centre that already has some equipment. This way you can save some money to spend on tunes which you will need in abundance to practice on. If you decide DJ’ing is for you, you will eventually need to get some equipment. You will need two record players (decks) or CD mixers designed for DJ’ing. Technics 1200/1210 are the industry standard for record decks and Numark CDN 88’s for CD mixing are also good. The difference between this equipment and the CD/record players you have at home is the built in pitch control. The pitch control allows you to change the speed of the music which you will later need for mixing.You will also need a mixer to change between tracks without gaps in the music.A mixer can be used in the two main forms of mixing songs either for ‘scratching’ when a record or on some high end CD mixers the CD is moved back and forth to manipulate the sound. Or beat matching when one song is layered across another at the same speed to produce a smooth track change. It’s likely that if you are just starting out your fist gigs will be in venues that don’t have much equipment. If you are going to be a mobile disco DJ you will need sound equipment and lighting. In most cases you will need to take all if not some of your equipment to the venue. For venues that do not have their own sound system you will need to take some proper mobile disco equipment including speakers and an amplifier. These can be hired but if you are going to make this a full time hobby or profession it’s cost effective to buy them instead. If you are lucky enough to find yourself DJ’ing in a night club with its own equipment it’s still a good idea to bring your own slip mats (these go on the record platform of the deck) and needles if using vinyl. If you are using someone else’s equipment it makes good sense to get there early to figure out how it works. You will also need a decent microphone as you may be expected to make announcements and a good set of headphones. The sealed back variety is preferred by DJs as they cut out all background noise. Whether you’re planning to make a living out of DJ’ing or just as a hobby the main thing is have fun and enjoy what you do.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Showtime Mobile Disco offering advice on how to book a mobile DJ, become a mobile DJ and plan a party.

Guitar Lessons Made Easy

Guitar playing has always been a part of the pastime of both the teens and adults. More so, not only the men are the ones who are learned in playing the guitar but also the women. Some of them perceive the skill as a good form of hobby while there are those who find careers with it. Whichever is the reason for one to be particularly interested in playing the guitar, what matters is his natural learning ability, his desire to learn the style, tricks, and techniques, and the patience, perseverance, and dedication that are to be fully exerted.Wherever in the world, the guitar is one of the musical instruments that is held to be the easiest to play. Guitars could be seen all over the camping, concerts, singing presentations, and many other get-together activities. It is also for its popularity that many people take the interest to learn how to play it. However, not all of those who try manage to succeed. What they fail to realize is that guitar playing is indeed easy and simple. One basic reason as to why many of those who venture into learning how to play the instrument fail is because right from the start, they already heap pressure on themselves. They come round with bits of unrealistic prospects. They always think that they could right away play their favorite musical genres.If you truly want to succeed and learn how the guitar could be played easily, you must gain full understanding about the instrument itself, the music that you are to play, and train your fingers to coordinate with the necessary motions as you pluck the strings and press on the chords. For a clearer comprehension, read on.A Few Tips for You as a BeginnerSecure a chord chart. The chord chart will be your guide as it clearly shows you how the fingers should be positioned when playing the various kinds of guitar chords. Playing the chords of the guitar is simply the same with pressing those of the organ chords. If you intend to learn by yourself, the chord chart will be of best aid to you.Guitar made easy allows you to learn in the privacy of your own home. Learn how the chords should be read. Yes, you may have a chords chart but if you do not know how to read them, it would all be useless.Do the finger exercises. It would help a lot to exercise the finger muscles so that they would be flexible especially when working with the chord positioning.Learn the chords one at a time. Since there are too many types of guitar chords, do not be too ambitious to cover all of them in one single session. For a beginner like you, it would be practical to master each of the chords one by one. Do not jump into another without first flawlessly playing the other. In a day, try learning at least three chords and practice them continuously until such time that you could already manage to play them in a fast pace. Remember that it would require too much patience and hard work on your part.Know the function of your right hand. Take note that your right hand should coordinate with your left hand. Most beginners find it hard to continue with strumming because the left hand is still unsettled with the chord to be pressed. This is quite normal but in the succeeding days of your practice you will soon eliminate this habit.Get an inspirational song. The best possible way of learning to play a musical piece is by having the tune inside your mind. As you have gotten familiar with the guitar chords, then you could play the tune in your head and consequently go on with working on the chords and strumming the strings.Remember that it is no joke to learn to play the guitar. Yes, it is easy and simple but still, it requires the proper skills and training. Keep these tips in your mind and they could surely help you out.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Ronald Firquain is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, webmaster and has 16 years of computer knowledge. You can download e-books for making money online, building a website, improve your golf game, playing guitar and much more. For more information go to: eBooks Mall

Easy Guitar Playing Lessons

If you have a six-string, a pick and a solid but comfortable armless chair, you are ready for some easy guitar lessons. Here are some of the basic things you should learn.Know your instrument.The topmost portion of your guitar is called the head or the headstock. This is where you well find the tuners, which are used to adjust the pitch of the six strings. The long part attached to the head is the neck.Down the neck is the body of the guitar. If you are using a classical or acoustic guitar, you will find a sound hole in the middle. This serves to project and amplify the sound. Electric guitars, on the other hand, do not have holes. Instead, they have pickups, which intensify the sounds coming from your instrument. Of course, you have the strings that are attached to the tuners, run down over the neck, over the hole and attached to the bridge.Hold your guitar properly.The thickest guitar string should be the topmost when you hold the guitar and the neck should be parallel to the ground. The body should rest comfortably on one of your thighs.Tune your guitar.Before you can learn how to play the guitar, you will have to learn this skill first. You can refer to a book, an online source or a friend to learn how to tune. You can tune your guitar three ways: by ear, with a piano or a tuning flute.Next, decide on your fret hand. This is the one that will be spending a lot of time on the neck of your guitar, pressing on the chord. If you are right handed, it is your left. If you are left handed, it's your right hand. Your pick hand is the other hand. This is the one that will hold the pick and strum the guitar.When using your pick to strike the strings, make sure not to strike too hard or too soft. You are a beginner and need to hear how you sound like. Use only your wrist when you play and not your whole arm. Practice three different strokes on each string: downward, upward and alternate down and up. Once you get the hang of it, you will learn the best pressure to put on the string to produce the proper sound.Learn the chords.Get a chord book and begin practicing the chords. You can practice doing them one by one as shown on the book until your mind and fingers memorize them. Only problem is that this can get a little boring. There is just no sense playing a bunch of chords that do not sound like a real melody.The better alternative would be to learn the most common chords first. These are: C major, D major and G major. Play one chord first until you memorize it and then move to the other. You can then practice moving from one chord to the next, keeping both the sound and the movement as fluid as possible. Practice on songs that play these chords until you have mastered them. When you do, move on to other songs using other chords.Where to find your lessons onlineThere are plenty of resources you can turn to for easy guitar lessons books, magazines and online resources. If you want free lessons, here are some websites you can check out for help.If you know the basics of playing the guitar, this site is a great resource for learning easy songs. Do not worry, because lessons are designed for beginners. A few sessions online and you should learn enough songs to surprise anyone in no time.Not only does this site feature easy step by step lessons on guitar playing, there is also a link to a page featuring songs made popular in the 1960s. Bring back the groovy years with easy to follow instructions.All the easy guitar playing secrets you have always wanted to learn are here, plus you get to learn how to play lead guitar. You can also order their instructional CD-ROM to learn easy guitar lessons at your own pace.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Ronald Firquain is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, webmaster and has 16 years of computer knowledge. You can download e-books for making money online, building a website, improve your golf game, playing guitar and much more. For more information go to: eBooks Mall

cellphone review of three famous mobiles

The Nokia 9500 reviewThe Nokia 9500 clearly is the best phone that we reviewed this year. With a huge widescreen color display and expandable memory, the 9500 can be used for movies, MP3 and gaming. It supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing seamless connectivity with other devices and networks.This triband phone has all the features you can ask for from a phone. You can surf the web and enjoy the 11Mbps connectivity for checkingyour mails or keeping in touch with your contacts. Supporting MPEC-4 playback, the phone ensures that there is never a dull moment, letting you watch your favorite movies onthe wide screen, while you are on the move. Typing long emails on a cellphone might sound insane but the 9500 makes it look so easy with its full QWERTY keyboard. Transferring data to the phone is very quick, thanks to the USB 2.0 support; you can transfer large amounts of data to the phone in a few seconds. With almost every second phone offering imaging, the 9500 does not miss out on that. You can click images using the built-in 0.3 MP CMOS sensor! All this is packaged in a sturdy and well designed unit that signifies class and perfection. The phone also supports mobile softwaresSony W800i reviewlooking for a musicphone? The W800i has to be your first choice. In fact, the W800i is one of the best multimedia phones available today. What makes the W800i so appealing is the overall package that consists of a mammoth 512 MB of memorystick Pro and high-quality ear buds.Features include Bluetooth, infrared and USB connectivity. On the music front, the W800i offers music management software, preset equalizers and MP3, as well as AAC support. Sound quality is unmatched compared to the other phones; in fact, it comes very close to the well known MP3 players in the market. Adding presets and applyingyourown equalizer settings ensure that you are able to fine tune the sound as peryour preference and music genre. Sporting a 2 MP sensor and a brilliant lens that uses autofocus for capturing images, the W800i clicks real nice pictures for a camera phone. All these features are well supported by the compact foot print and unnoticeable weight. The phone have some nice mobile themes.The W800i is an excellent example of optimum combination of multimedia and communication, keeping the size and design factor in focus.Samsung D600 reviewThe D600 comes very close to the W800i in terms of multimedia functionality. The D600 does not come with any memory card by default but offers 90 MB of inbuilt memory and card slot for expanding memory. This slider phone has one of the best color screens compared to that of all other cellphones in the market. With a built-in media player, the D600 supports MP3, AAC playback and allows MPEG-4 video recording and playback as well. Supportfor viewing of MS office and Adobe PDF files adds a fair deal of smart phone functionality without being too bulky. The D600 brings some very fresh and interesting features to the table by providing video-out functions and direct print feature, which allow the user to make use of all the features of the phone without a PC. Imaging is also at par with the best, offering 2 MP camera and a video capture support.The video is captured in MPEG-4 format and looks great on the high resolution color screen. The best part of the D600 is its ability to integrate so many features in a compact package, with the addition of a very attractive design. The D600 marginally loses out to the W800i with its cramped and tricky 5-way navigation key and an inferior camera.

harry potterand the Unfit Brain

Okay, I'm not trying to add another title to J.K. Rowling's astoundingly successful series. I just want to use the main characters to make a point. Still, if you don't want any kind of clue as to how the last Harry Potter book ends, then don't read this article.Why did Harry always seem to get the best of his evil arch nemesis, Lord Voldemort? I suggest that Harry had a fitter brain.In my last couple of posts, I started to introduce a concept around variety in Brain Fitness, which I'm calling EPIQ performance – standing for Emotional, Physical and Intellectual intelligences (or Quotients). I say that the Dark Lord Voldemort excelled in one of these but wasn't very well balanced. Whereas Harry wasn't a star in any of them but had a good balance of intelligences – and in the end, that's what mattered more.Voldemort was incredibly smart, he probably had an IQ score through the roof. He was a great student and figured out all kinds of stuff that others before him did not succeed in doing. This helped him rise to power. But it wasn't enough to keep him there.He was fairly stupid when it came to emotional and physical intelligence. Emotionally, he didn't connect very well with others and he had a bit of a hard time controlling his temper. He had a tendency to strike down anyone that didn't see things quite his way. I'd say this ranks him pretty low on the EQ front.Physically – well, he did split his soul into 8 pieces (7 of them were deliberate). Not really the ideal health plan. He didn't look that good – Bad skin and teeth. It didn't appear that his metabolism was functioning optimally. I bet his internal organs didn't look that good either, since he spent about fifteen years nearly dead. So I give him a low score on the PQ side as well.On the other hand, Harry was a modest student – not the best, not the worst. He probably had a reasonable IQ. But he had a much greater EQ and PQ than his counterpart. Although the books never really talked much about physical health or nutrition, he was athletic (a great Quidditch seeker), seemed to get a lot of exercise running around escaping from near death situations, had a lot of friends, and really connected with the people around him. So I'd say his scores on those fronts would be fairly high.People wanted to help Harry because they liked him, not because they were afraid of him (there's probably a managerial lesson in there somewhere). Harry was able to understand things that Voldemort could not. He was able to pull together his moderate strengths across a variety of areas, where Voldemort really only excelled at one thing. In the end, that mean't victory for Harry and defeat for the Dark Lord. Harry's brain was fit and Voldemort's was not.It all comes back to variety. Brain Fitness is about developing your skills on several fronts through a variety of approaches – EPIQ performance.Copyright (c) 2007 The Brain Code LLC
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family. The Brain Code is the key to unlock your maximum potential. Dr. Simon Evans puts together the right ingredients in right amount to create the recipe for success. Visit www.thebraincode.com for FREE Brain Fitness resources.