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February 28, 2011

Music Winners "The 83rd Academy Awards" 2011


The 83rd Academy Awards 2011 was held on Sunday, February 27, 2011. The 83rd Academy Awards is the highest award for film industry.

The film can not be separated from the music and is a united and make the film become more alive, therefore the Oscar awards ceremony there is a category for music that is in a movie.

Sources of oscars.org and the winners of the Oscar 2011 for the music in movies, as follows :
1. Music (Original Score) - The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
2. Music (Original Song) - We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Music and Lyric by Randy Newman)
3. Sound Editing - Inception (Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick)
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February 24, 2011

The Acoustic Guitar

 
Photo from dimensionsguide.com

The steel-stringed acoustic guitar is usually credited with being developed by C.F. Martin and Company sometime during the 1830s. Although other "gut-stringed" acoustics were around at that time, it was the Martin Company that introduced the idea of crossbracing underneath the soundboard which enabled the guitar to support the heavier steel strings.

There is approximately 160 lbs. of tension created by the use of steel strings so they should never be put on a classic guitar. Classical guitars use nylon strings because steel strings are too heavy. However, due to C.F. Martin's new design, the use of steel strings on the acoustic guitar became fairly common by the end of the 1800s, and by the 1930s it became a standardized component.

The acoustic steel-stringed guitar is commonly referred to as a "dreadnaught", possibly after a British battleship by that name, which was the first of it's type to use heavy armor and large-caliber guns in turrets.

The addition of steel-strings to the acoustic guitar produced a brighter sound and created more versatility than was possible with the previous gut-stringed instruments. A wide range of tone and color can be achieved on the steel-stringed acoustic guitar which can either be strummed or picked with the fingers. This makes it one of the most popular choices among guitarists of such diverse styles as blues, jazz, fingerstlye, bluesgrass, folk, rock and more.

When creating such a guitar, a luthier's (someone who builds guitars) primary objective will be to achieve a rich quality of sound. The types of wood used will have a great effect on the tone and volume of the instrument, as well as it's overall appearance and aesthetic value.

Traditionally spruce (or sometimes western red cedar) are used for the face of the guitar. Mahagony is used for the neck, and ebony or rosewood for the fretboard. Rosewood, mahagony or maple, have historically been the woods most commonly used for the back and sides. There are some variations, of course, but most factory-made acoustic guitars use the same recipe.

During the 1960s, the Kaman Company broke with tradition by introducing The Ovation; an inovative acoustic guitar designed with a round back that is made of synthetic materials instead of wood. All Ovation guitars feature an adjustable steel tension rod in the neck. The tension rod serves two purposes. First of all, it counterbalances string tension, giving the neck addiional strengh. Secondly, it permits adjustment of the neck should changes in humidity, string tension, or string guage cause the neck to warp or bow.

I personally own an Ovation Legend Elite 12-string acoustic-electric. The guitar is beautiful in appearance and features 22 sound holes which are enclosed by a leaf design made of walnut and padauk. It has a wonderful sound either acoustically or amplified and is extremely easy to play. My own belief is that Kaman/Ovation makes one of the finest 12-string acoustic guitars money can buy.

Now if you're looking for a 6-stringed acoustic guitar that will bring you years of playing enjoyment, you might want to consider a Martin. There are several models to choose from, so you're bound to find a quality instrument at a price you can afford.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a durable and beautiful 12-stringed acoustic guitar, then Ovation might be the way to go. You can rest assured that, either way, these companies stand behind their products 100% in order to guarantee your satisfaction and peace of mind. And that is worth a whole lot in my book. More Articles

Author Bio :
Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years.
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February 16, 2011

Nominations and winners of The Brit Awards 2011


Nominations and winners of the award of The Brit Awards 2011 held on 15 February 2011. List of winners based on the official website brits.co.uk, as follows:

1. British Male Solo Artist
Nominee - Mark Ronson
Nominee - Paul Weller
Nominee - Plan B
Nominee - Robert Plant
Nominee - Tinie Tempah
Winner - Plan B

2. British Female Solo Artist
Nominee - Cheryl Cole
Nominee - Ellie Goulding
Nominee - Laura Marling
Nominee - Paloma Faith
Nominee - Rumer
Winner - Laura Marling

3. British Breakthrough Act
Nominee - Ellie Goulding
Nominee - Mumford & Sons
Nominee - The XX
Nominee - Tinie Tempah
Nominee - Rumer
Winner - Tinie Tempah

4. British Group
Nominee - Biffy Clyro
Nominee - Gorillaz
Nominee - Mumford & Sons
Nominee - Take That
Nominee - The XX
Winner - Take That

5. British Single
Nominee - Alexandra Burke
Nominee - Cheryl Cole
Nominee - Florence + The Machine
Nominee - Matt Cardle
Nominee - Olly Murs
Nominee - Plan B
Nominee - Scouting For Girls
Nominee - Taio Cruz
Nominee - The Wanted
Nominee - Tinie Tempah
Winner - Tinie Tempah

7. MasterCard British Album of the Year
Nominee - Mumford & Sons
Nominee - Plan B
Nominee - Take That
Nominee - The XX
Nominee - Tinie Tempah
Winner - Mumford & Sons

8. International Male Solo Artist
Nominee - Bruce Springsteen
Nominee - Cee Lo Green
Nominee - David Guetta
Nominee - Eminem
Nominee - Kanye West
Winner - Cee Lo Green

9. International Female Solo Artist
Nominee - Alicia Keys
Nominee - Katy Perry
Nominee - Kylie Minogue
Nominee - Rihanna
Nominee - Robyn
Winner - Rihanna

10. International Breakthrough Act
Nominee - Bruno Mars
Nominee - Glee Cast
Nominee - Justin Bieber
Nominee - The National
Nominee - The Temper Trap
Winner - Justin Bieber

11. International Group
Nominee - Arcade Fire
Nominee - Black Eyed Peas
Nominee - Kings Of Leon
Nominee - The Script
Nominee - Vampire Weekend
Winner - Arcade Fire

12. International Album
Nominee - Arcade Fire
Nominee - Cee Lo Green
Nominee - Eminem
Nominee - Katy Perry
Nominee - Kings Of Leon
Winner - Arcade Fire

13. Critics’ Choice
Nominee - James Blake
Nominee - Jessie J
Nominee - The Vaccines
Winner - Jessie J

14. British Producer
Nominee - Ethan Johns
Nominee - John Leckie
Nominee - Markus Dravs
Nominee - Mike Pela
Nominee - Stuart Price
Winner - Markus Dravs
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