The Fever Lever Center

In 2008, 4,179 people in 10 countries costumed themselves as the undead and simultaneously performed the choreography from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video as part of the Guinness World Record-winning “Thrill the World” campaign. Famous songs like the Michael Jackson Billie Jean song were also performed by fans.

This year, even more zombies are expected to rise, and Colorado Springs is getting into the act with a free “Thrill the World” event Saturday at SouthSide Johnny’s, hosted by the local burlesque dance troupe Peaks and Pasties.

“It’s so fun to be able to teach people who are as nervous as I was when I first started dancing,” says Peak and Pasties dancer Kami Sutra, who helped lead a rehearsal attended by about 20 people earlier this week. She says that participants enjoy mimicking the Jackson crotch grab the most out of all the dance moves, which also include the zombie march and menacing claw hands. “Everyone gets a huge kick out of it. No one in the group is judgmental. Everyone is really supportive of each other.”

The troupe performed “Thriller” last year for fun, but when they discovered the revived “Thrill the World” campaign fueled by even more interest after Jackson’s recent death they were determined to share the fun with the public.

Released in 1983, the 14-minute “Thriller” production, a horror film homage in which a zombified Jackson dances with the undead, became the most popular music video of all time.

Twenty-six years later, “Thriller” lives on. A video of convicts reenacting the dance recently went viral on the internet. The song is still played in dance clubs.

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Putting politics aside for a moment (Vote John Kerry for President), presidential campaign strategies offer an interesting lesson for unsigned bands.

I was listening to NPR this morning on the way to work. They said George Bush was heading back to Pennsylvania to campaign. This is his tenth time or so going to PA. He’s doing it, because he lost PA to Al Gore in 2000 by 5%. Now, current polling in Pennsylvania shows that Bush is tied with Kerry.

Hmm. I guess it doesn’t take a rocket scientest to make that comparison.

Building a rabid fan base is a lot like running for the presidency. It takes repetition to sway the opinions of music fans and to inspire them to rabidly promote your music.

But it’s all about repetition:
Tour to a city.
Support your current fan base.
Inspire your fans to tell their friends.
Tour back to the city.

Doesn’t sound too hard really, huh?
So what makes presidential candidates do so well?

In Bush’s case, his presence combined with rousing speeches in Pennsylvania inspires his supporters. They, then, work that much harder to rally other people to support Bush. It’s amazing what a little emotion can do.

Unsigned bands have just as much ammunition when earning new fans. Why? Because just like presidential campaigning, bands that want to grow fast, must tour and touch fans on an emotional level.

While Bush has pre-written speeches to inspire, music is your emotional catalyst.

When you play a song to your audience, you touch them on an emotional level. This inspires your fans. They buy your CD. They tell their friends, and your fan base grows.

It’s just like running for presidency, well, without the millions of dollar campaign fund-raising. Hmm? That poses another thought… But that’s a topic for separate article.

Meantime, if you want to take a look at great political promotion tool, John Kerry’s website offers a free download of his “Organizing Toolkit”, which offers suggestions for a hosting house party to promote Kerry. What a great idea to stea… borrow for your fans!

Oh! And if you’re looking for other ways to build your fans base, check out Joe Taylor’s book, Grow Your Band’s Audience. It offer some wonderful ideas and some grreat interviews as well.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000’s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE “how-to” music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

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2006-14

Flamenco Guitar: Learn To Play Malaguena With Guitar Tab

Flamenco guitar is an art that it is hard to master. But is it
possible to play a flamenco guitar melody that is easy to learn
for a beginner. Come and see!

Flamenco is a song, music and dance style which has its roots in
Moorish and Jewish musical traditions.

Flamenco culture has become one of the icons of Spanish music
and even Spanish culture in general.

The flamenco guitar comes from the lute and is made of Spanish
cypress and spruce and is smaller than a classical guitar with a
sharper sound.

Malaguena is a flamenco style with its roots in the local
fandango of Malaga.

You will not need to read sheet music to play this flamenco
guitar piece. We will instead use guitar tablature. You will
only use four strings on the guitar.

The string with the highest pitch is called the first string or
E-string. Look at the following guitar tab with four strings
indicated:

1. ————————- 2. ———0———–0— 3.
—–1———–1——- 4. -2———–2———–

This is a tablature staff and the number 2 on the fourth string
indicate that you play the fourth string while pressing down the
second fret.

The next note is played on the first fret on the third string.
The zero indicate that you play the note without pressing down
any fret.

Play the melody with your thumb and with your first finger
resting on the first string for later use.

Here is the next guitar tablature part:

1. ————————- 2. —–1—0————— 3.
-2———–2—0——- 4. ———————3—

After the last note on the third fret on the fourth string you
just start over again with the first guitar tab staff.

Now it is time to introduce your first finger on your right hand
into the melody. After every note you play with your thumb you
just have to pluck the first string with your first finger. In
guitar tab it looks like this:

1. —–0——-0—— 2. —————–0– 3.
———1———- 4. -2——————

And so on for the rest of the melody!

I hope you will find this very simplified flamenco guitar tab
melody enjoyable. I guess many people will recognize the melody
when they hear you play it.

Flamenco guitar playing is of course an art that is hard to
master but this little flamenco piece doesn’t sound so bad. Does
it!

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