Taylor's Blog

22
Nov

Your Disc Jockey Acts As A Wedding Event Planner

Give disc jockey’s credit. Many of them have endured so much criticism. The banquet managers sometimes won’t acknowledge their existence or tries to dictate what they have to do and when. They am forced to haul their $15,000 worth of sound equipment through a greasy kitchen or up a rickety flight of stairs because they don’t want them to be seen loading in the nice ramp in front. Wedding professionals need to work together because they should all have the same goal – please the customer (the bride and groom). So many times other professionals forget that fact too easily.

Let’s look at the basic facts. The disc jockey relies on the banquet facility to provide the meals and drinks in a timely fashion for the guests. The banquet facility will help coordinate timing to line up with meal service. Some facilities even go as far as supporting the disc jockey during introductions by directing the wedding party and collecting their flowers. For the most part, once the meal is done – you won’t see the staff until it’s time to clean up. They will walk away from your event and leave everything in the hands of the entertainment.

Without entertainment, people will just leave after the meal. It’s up to the disc jockey to entertain your guests for the next three hours. If you took them to a 2-hour movie, you’d pay $9.75 per person to entertain them. You probably just paid $75 per person to feed them (before the 18% gratuity). The $500 ice sculpture, $300 printed napkins and the $3 per person champagne toast pretty much go unnoticed and unappreciated. It is so easy to get caught up in the wedding planning that you just think that you “have” to have it. Sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture. A wedding reception is an “entertainment” function. Your entertainment choice will clearly make or break your event.

If a party is a flop – the DJ is blamed. Never do you hear the guests complain that the meal was dragged out over 2 hours and that it killed the party. People don’t realize that by having a photographer pull a couple out of the festivities for 45 minutes can drain the energy from a wedding reception just as quickly as having the banquet manager turn the lights on full or strip clear the tables to push guests towards leaving.

With that said – your professional disc jockey does more than play music and make a few announcements. They are your event coordinator for the day. They will guide you every step of the way – from telling you where to stand while waiting for the start of parental dances to guiding you to return to the room when you’ve been out too long. They will make your party come alive with excitement while still maintaining a professional demeanor and not rely on cheesy antics and props. Your disc jockey will advise you when it is time to get the party started after dinner or if the meal is slow, they might suggest that you do some dancing between courses to mask the fact that the banquet staff is behind.

Your disc jockey will play the music you want and avoid the songs that you have placed on your no-play list. They will make sure things go as planned. If your uncle comes up and says he wants to sing you a song in the middle of your reception – they’ll stop him until they’ve cleared it with you first. There will be no surprises with a professional disc jockey.

The fact that your disc jockey mimics so many of the duties of a professional wedding planner during the wedding reception are not by accident. It is what they do. Some disc jockeys have even gone as far as to now provide pre-wedding coordination and planning duties (including menu review, vendor contract negotiations, vendor approval, invitation wording, wine pairing and so much more) through an in-house dedicated wedding planner. This way your wedding planner and your entertainment are working together in harmony with your plans.

In order to facilitate better events, our company has started to email clients a week before to give them every opportunity to have the best event possible. Here are some of the hints that we provide:

Hello, it’s your DJ. Your wedding is about a week away and I just wanted to email you and let you know a few things that you can do to help make your event run smoothly and get the most out of your time at the reception. Please circulate this email to your parents and everyone in your wedding party. The more people that are in tune with what to do that day – the better your event will be.

1. If there are any last minute changes to your itinerary – LET US KNOW AHEAD OF TIME. We need to be prepared and can help you orchestrate things much smoother only if we know about them before it’s too late. We can help guide you as to the best way to flow from one event to the next. Call or email us with those changes immediately. Thank you.

2. All formal photos should be completed by the end of dinner. That means – if you need to get a group photo of your college friends, grandmother or whomever – by the time they clear the main entr e away – that photo needs to happen. If you pull people (and yourselves) out of the party for a group photo – you lose about 25 minutes of dance time. Yes, the photo only takes 5 minutes, but it takes 10 minutes to gather everyone up. It takes you about 10 minutes to walk back into the room as you will keep getting stopped by friends and family. It’s never just a quick shot.

3. If you need to socialize with your guests – do as much of it between courses as you can. Get up, visit a few tables and then go sit back down and eat the next course. If you wait until after dinner to start walking around – you will lose valuable dance time. Be careful not to get behind in the meal. If your guests finish before the two of you, that is not good either. When the next course is set for you, go and eat. You can always finish talking to people later – or better yet – meet them on the dance floor.

4. The end of the meal is critical – both you, your parents and the wedding party need to be in the room. Once you start seeing the wait staff clearing plates – you should STAY IN THE ROOM. We could delay the start of dancing by 10-15 minutes trying to get the key players back in the room. The longer we wait to start – the harder it is to get people focused on the party. We will give you and your parents a 10 minute warning before activities are about to get started – use the bathroom, freshen up, take your smoke break or whatever you need to do – BUT BE BACK IN THE ROOM AND READY TO GO.

5. Once we open dancing up – the more people that come out – the quicker we can get the party on the way. If you really want to help prime the party, both you, your parents and the entire bridal party (and their partners) should spend the first 15 minutes (~3 songs) on the dance floor. Everyone is looking to you to set the tone of the event – if you are out dancing – your guests will follow.

6. If you have to leave the room (and you should really leave the room separately (never together) – leaving one of you in the room to play host for your guests at all times), make sure you quickly go and do what you have to do and return. The longer you are out of the room – the more energy is drained from the party. Also, if you are standing talking with guests be aware of WHERE you stand. If you position yourself next to the exit – you will draw people to you and out of the party. Always position yourself so you pull people away from the exits and near to the dance floor.

7. We will be able to play more of the music that you’ve selected if you dance. If people are not dancing – our first concern is to get people involved before they decide to leave instead. Once we have a good dancing crowd – it’s much easier to fit in more of your & your guests’ requests.

8. Have fun. If you are not having fun – how can you expect your guests to be? Be part of the festivities. Socialize, dance and have the time of your life. Your DJ will be there to guide you every step of the way. If you are unsure as to what to do next – we can help. We will be touching base with you over the course of the event and will let you know if you have been out of the room too long or if we need you to help us refocus attention on the dance floor.

Whether it is a low-key event or a “dance-on-the-tables” feel that you want for your wedding; your professional mobile disc jockey should be able to paint the scene for you. Discuss your needs. Tell them what you’ve seen before – both what you liked and what you hated at other weddings. But most of all, come and have the time of your life at your wedding! Remember, if you remember the music, you’ll never forget the times.

Filed under - Singles Comments Off
22
Nov

Vocal Exercises to Improve Singing

Fabulous singers are not born talented they hone their skills everyday. The accolades and the awards are just the front of a singing career but what lies behind is hard work in its purest form; long hours spent exercising to achieve the perfect tone, melody, pitch and vocal range. So if you want to break into the professional music scene you will also have to put in the diligent effort and perseverance into practicing vocal exercises every day. Here are some vocal exercises that will produce conspicuous results. It is important that you don’t hold yourself back just because you think you were not born a good singer. Anybody can develop extraordinary singing skills by practicing the fundamentals. After all singing is not natural rather your voice is also an instrument which can be developed. Singing doesn’t come naturally to the human body so you will have to be patient and let your body get used to singing.

The exercises mentioned here will not feel natural at first for instance one of the first vocal exercises involves increasing the size of the mouth cavity this can be done by raising the soft palette but when you normally try to do this the body’s reflex is to turn on the swallowing muscles and close the throat and while singing you will have to teach your body to turn off this reflex.

Regardless of the style of singing that you intend to practice if you master the fundamentals you can certainly be a good singer. The fundamental of singing include a good posture, good breathing and proper phonation and the following vocal exercises will help to develop these fundamentals

Good Posture

When people think about a good posture for singing they assume that it should be straight and stiff but where singing is concerned an appropriate posture should be one that creates space for breathing and the expansion of the lungs and the diaphragm. To get this posture the weight should be centered between the balls and the heels of the feet. It should be the body’s natural center. Rock back and forth and let yourself slowly settle into the correct and natural posture.

Proper Breathing

You cannot possible sing well unless you master the proper breathing technique. With correct breathing you can handle any singing issues that you may encounter. If you are breathing correctly it will help to raise the soft palate and stretch the diaphragm.

Raise The Palate

Your palate is almost semi circular in shape with the ridge like part behind your upper teeth followed by a hard bony part that lies in the center of your mouth and then further in towards your throat is a fleshy part. This is the soft palate. If you try to hold a yawn you feel this fleshy part of your mouth lower and rise. Try sticking your hand between your lips horizontally and breathe. This will raise the soft palate. Stretch the Diaphragm: Close one of the nostrils and take a deep breath you will feel a stretch at the lower part of your lungs. When exhaling use a straw to blow the air out you will feel a resistance at the bottom of the ribs. When you inhale feel the air entering a big space practice by taking a deep breath quickly and with no sound. You should feel the same stretch that you felt when you inhaled through one nostril and exhaled through the straw

Proper Phonation

Once you have practiced the vocal exercises to achieve the first two fundamentals you will need to use the techniques in your sounds. So, start by hissing, it should be a nice, long and steady hiss that stretches your diaphragm. Once you can maintain a long hiss turn the hiss into a slur by buzzing your lips. This buzzing should also be long and consistent. If both these sounds are steady you are producing them correctly. Try going back and forth between the hiss and the buzz both of them being consistent. Increase the pace and then open to a vowel sound like ‘e’ or ‘ah’. You should feel the power of your diaphragm while making the sounds with an almost passive and open throat. Singing should be about using the energy in your diaphragm and not about movement in the throat.

The more you practice the easier it will be and eventually you will start incorporating the techniques without putting in a conscious effort.

Filed under - Reconnecting Comments Off
22
Nov

Long Distance Relationship Advice – Part One

We’ve all been there at one stage or another… the dreaded long distance relationship.

It might be a full blown geographic problem because one of you moved away for school, family or work. Maybe you met online and simply live on opposite sides of the country. Or perhaps you’re temporarily apart while one of you is traveling for the summer. Whatever the reason for the distance separating the two of you, it sucks, doesn’t it?

There is almost nothing worse than being apart from the guy you love!

But the news isn’t all bad. You can use your time away from each other to show him just how inventive and fun you can be, even when he’s not right there next to you. It’ll make him miss you all the more… and think how awesome that will make things when you next get to see each other

So here are some great tips you can use to make sure the distance isn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, you’ll be able to use them to actually strengthen your relationship (it’s true!) AND have a whole load of fun along the way.

Let’s have a look at the tools at your disposal. Everyone has at least one of the following:

1. a phone

2. the internet

3. pen and paper

4. a camera…

…so there are no excuses! Using any one of these tools you can really rock his world with dirty notes and surprise messages, and using a combination of all of them? Well, you’ll be unstoppable!

Here are just some of the suggestions I have on how you can use these tools to spice up your long distance relationship.

1. The Phone

Of course you already know about phone sex. If you’ve done it before you’ll know how fun it can be to talk about what you’d like him to be doing to you, what you’re doing to yourself, or any number of other little scenarios you think he will enjoy. And if you haven’t done it before, now’s the time to start! Just begin by telling him how much you’ve desired him all day and how you pictured him when you masturbated last night… and let it go from there.

I know phone sex can be a bit daunting for some people, though, so if you’re not comfortable with it just yet, here are some other ways you can use your phone to let your guy know you’re thinking of him:

* Text messaging: Sometimes it’s a lot easier to be dirty in a text than it is to say the words out loud. Plus, you can send a text any time of the day or night regardless of the time zones that might be separating you.

* Picture messaging: Guys are extremely visual, so send him a saucy picture when he isn’t expecting it. Stuck for ideas? How about taking your phone with you to the restroom next time you go and take a shot of your boobs for him (even in your bra). He’ll have a huge grin in his face all day when he gets it!

* Voice messaging: Call your guy when you know he’s asleep or busy, so you get is voicemail or answering machine, then leave a wonderfully dirty message he’ll hear the next time he checks it. Guaranteed to make him smile.

2. The Internet

Hop online and send your guy dirty emails or suggestive instant messages. It’s an excellent way to get time together, and you can be as dirty as you like, wherever you are… even at work (just use a personal email account!).

And then there’s webcamming If you both have internet access MAKE SURE you each have a webcam you can use so you’ll be able to see each other, no matter where you are. Remember, again, that guys can be very visual, so a webcam is your opportunity to let him see what he’s missing.

3. Pen and Paper

Failing all forms of modern technology, there is good old fashioned pen and paper. Everyone loves getting mail, and your guy is going to LOVE a letter filled with all the things you’re going to do to him when you see him again. You can also send photos, CDs, mementos, etc. But bear in mind you’re not a penpal, you’re his lover. If you really want to get him hot, leave out the teddy bears… keep the content strictly adult.

4. A Camera

Well, I’m not sure I have to expand on this one. Just recall that men love an image we can stare at time and again (hello… this is why we love porn!). Why not make yourself his own personal porn star? You can keep it tasteful if you want… or really go to town. Either way he’s going to love you for it and remember why he wants to be back with you as soon as he is able.

So how about that? Has this given you some ideas about how to add a spark to your long distance love? I hope so!

I realized when I was going through this list that I haven’t even scratched the surface, so stay tuned for the next article I have planned on this topic… it’ll cover some essential dos and don’ts for keeping your long distance relationship alive and THRIVING.

Filed under - Post Divorce Comments Off
22
Nov

The Smart Scientists

(Calling Woof…!)

“Ninety percent of the world for ten-thousand years has been off their rocker,” says the smart scientist. “There really, truly, isn’t any God!” We’ve been fooled, they say. Somewhere along life’s long line, we’ve been hooked like a fish, brought to believe this fairytale story; perhaps someone, somewhere, had a delusion-I don’t know, the Neanderthal maybe, and everybody fell for it, you know, kind of fell into that black hole, the scientist created out of nothing or perhaps out of gravity-not figuring out how gravity works yet, or how it was created, but gravity nonetheless: everyone but them smart guys got sucked in.

Well, since there is no God, there mustn’t be any devil either. And since there is no devil, there is no such thing as sin, now we got what is called: right and wrong in question, it now is a personal thing: values are according to those each and every person owns: you know what I mean, what a person values is his value (it is where he puts his heart and soul, his money and efforts, and loyalty, and…you get picture)-right or wrong doesn’t matter (it’s not relevant), it is similar to a feeling-it just is, it is just that, no more. So there shouldn’t be any guilt, in taking from one another his life, limb, or liberty, he has no one to answer to: no God, no Devil, and man, well, they all have their own values-mine is just as good as the next person’s; thus, taking his wife, child or girlfriend, is inconsequential, the stronger person, perhaps the more rights he has-this is his value. Who’s to say-God isn’t around nor the Devil, possibly should we look back for the answer from the scientist? He’s suppose to have all the answers-my guess would be he’d bring up the Golden Rule, but perchance rules are made for those who value them (for example: Russia and China do not value the same rules America does, likewise North Korea does not value the same rules South Korea does).

Conceivably what the scientist values, is what we are supposed to value, that is what it comes down to anyhow: that makes him God though, and remember that can’t be, he just got rid of Him. This can get confusing, society acts out of fear, and now you took God and the Devil away, should we fear the scientist, or anarchy. These are the ones we can see, as the scientist would put it. God and the Devil, the invisible ones, might be a better choice now? Perhaps the scientist, better think twice about taking something away, and giving back nothing; you see, when you take something from someone, you got to give him something better, lest you hang yourself. It is sad but true, scientists cannot get along with having a God above them, and yet, much of what they’ve discovered, is based on theory-or, the invisible.

Filed under - Marriage Comments Off
22
Nov

The True Meaning of Commitment

It was February 24, 1974.

That was the day I attended my first American Motivational Association event. The speakers were Cavett Robert, J. Douglas Edwards, Tom Hopkins, and Christopher Hegarty. After four months of selling tickets I was excitedly looking forward to meeting and hearing these four speakers. I knew them only from their pictures on the AMA brochure. I picked up the first speaker at the airport. As we drove, Tom Hopkins enthusiastically practiced his speech, pounding on the dashboard of my Chevy.

As the newest and youngest of the four speakers, Tom had the lead-off spot. As Tom started his talk at one p.m., I was backstage making sure the lighting and sound were working properly. I nearly stumbled when I walked beside the piano. There on the floor was a man with a piano blanket thrown over him. I rushed to find Bernie Cowsert (the program coordinator). Breathless, I asked “Bernie, who is the guy under the piano blanket?” Bernie smiled, reassuring me, “That’s Cavett Robert.”

“What’s he doing under the piano blanket?” I blurted out.

Bernie explained, “Cavett’s sick with the flu. He doesn’t speak until this evening, and should be in bed recuperating. But he promised Tom that he would be at his FIRST public speaking event. Cavett’s keeping that promise.”

That’s the day I met Cavett Robert for the first time.

That’s also the day I truly learned the meaning of the word COMMITMENT and I went on to keep my own commitments as a professional speaker.

Filed under - Friendship Comments Off
22
Nov

Distinctive and Unique Wedding Favours

Giving wedding favours is now considered to be one of the wedding traditions. Lots of couples like to have distinctive favours to be remembered by and for their wedding guests to keep. The difficulty with wanting a distinctive and unique wedding favour is that there are a lot of brides and grooms who wish to have distinctive and unique wedding favours, making the search for a unique wedding favour more and more difficult as more and more couples try to think of things which have not been done before.

Food Items

Items such as sweets (candy), cakes, cookies and other bakery items have been used as wedding favours, so if these are used then they might not be as unique as the couple may like. Although sweets (candy) are ideal for party favours, there are also other food items which can be used as favours to give you that distinctive edge. Such items as nuts or fruit can be used as a wedding favour making both unique and low cost alternatives. With a little though and imagination an apple surrounded with a ribbon and bow can be both delightful and beautiful.

Other things that can be used to create a distinctive wedding favour are small bottles of the couple’s favourite choice wine or packets of tea or coffee. These can be placed in a basket and could enhance the table decorations. Small packets are ideal since the larger items can be awkward for guests to carry home.

Plants and Animals

Using plants and animals may be very unique, but they are not that practical since the guests need to be able to care for the plant or animal both during and after the wedding. Plants are essentially low cost compared to live animals and easier for the guests to take care of. Herbs in small, pretty pots are as touching as they are unique as favours. The pots can complement colours of the wedding decorations either by being coloured to match the theme or by decorating them with ribbons.

Animals are certainly more complicated but unquestionably more in keeping with the search for an exceptional wedding favour. However, it is also not advisable to use live animals of any kind when you are planning to have young children present. Large animals are out of the question since not all guests will have the ability to care for them, which leaves small animals such as fish, birds, and butterflies. You can place these in boxes, bowls, small cages etc. However, it is always advisable to let people know what is in the box as some people have phobias. You also need to have a plan for the care of those favours that are not taken and looked after by your guests.

Semi-precious and Birth Stones and Jewellery

Birth Stones or semi-precious stones can also be a wonderful wedding favour. You can either have both the bride and groom’s birth stones in small velvet pouches or if you know the dates of birth of the guest you can even use the guest’s individual birth stones as personalised favours.

Clearly there can be scope for that special and unique favour that will add a touch of distinction and class to your wedding. Jewellery can be truly unique, but it does not have to be as expensive as it sounds. Silver or even a stainless steel cufflinks for men and silver bracelets for women can be a wonderful gift for your guests. These can even be engraved with the date or the initials of the bride and groom. Although gold Jewellery can also be used, the cost is far more prohibitive.

From the cheapest wedding favour to the most expensive, it is still possible to have something that says ‘this wedding is special.’

Filed under - Domestic Violence Comments Off
22
Nov

How to Shoot Video of Your Kids Sports Team So That Anyone Else Will Watch it!

Break out that video camera, there is a game this weekend!

1. You bought a video camera

2. You want to shoot sports of your kid

3. Here is how to do it right!

What a wonderful age of technology we live in. You can buy the greatest gadgets now days to record video and music and play them in all sorts of ways on other great technology gadgets from computers, DVD’s, MP3 players, VCR’s, and many more. It is all great stuff. But they all come with thick owners manuals that do not always get you going the right direction. You may eventually learn to use your great new camera for instance, but that does not mean you will necessarily take pictures that are worth looking at down the road. Rolling tape in your camera is one thing and creating video that is high quality and interesting is another thing. The goal of this product is to bring you up to speed with using your video camera (whatever format, and whatever brand) to get the best results for recording those precious moments of your kid’s athletic achievements.

We as parents spend plenty of hours out on the field, court, pool, or track watching our kids take part in and compete in youth sports. If you have a video camera you are going to want to record some of these events for posterity and perhaps education. Following the simple steps in this guide will help you to capture them in the best possible fashion so that it is watch able but also usable down the road.

My video expertise stems from two decades as a network television cameraman and as a parent with several kids actively involved in youth sports. In my years of shooting video professionally I have been around the world and seen just about every type of news event. I also spent 15 years covering pro sports events for my employer. These were the best type of assignments as far as I was concerned. In my entire career the things I have enjoyed most is being able to go to places where the average person cannot. In sports that usually means being on the field, next to the court, in the press box, or in the pit. I have shot football games of all levels up to and including NFC and AFC championship games. Living in the Bay Area has allowed me to cover many baseball pennant races and several World Series. I was right behind home plate the night the earth shook in the 1989 World Series. Talk about a shock. I had to give up covering a World Series between the two Bay Area teams to go and cover a huge news event. Baseball seemed small for a while after the magnitude of the earthquake. The point in this is that I love sports, have been around sports my whole life and I know how to shoot video of sports. With that in mind I will do my best to give you advice on how to do the same.

Gear

Now whether you have the latest DV camera in your hands or an old VHS format camera there are basic things you will need to keep in mind if you are going to shoot sports. As we say in the video business your camera is only as good as the glass that you hang in front of it. The better the lens the better the results will be no matter what kind of recording format you use. Now you already have a camera in hand and may never have heard this particular bit of advice so it is too late to factor it into the equation. However if you have camera in hand and it has any limitations on what it can do due to the lens being less than wonderful there are things you can do to mitigate the situation. We will discuss those things in more detail later on.

The key factors before setting out on your game day video assignment are to make sure you know the operating functions of the gear, have a tape supply in hand (soon to be DVDs with the revolution in gear design that is taking place right now), and batteries fully charged. I know these may seem like the simply obvious things but even the pros have to constantly remind themselves to check and double check these items.

A little aside here about preparation. Over the many years of covering news I learned lots of little tips from other photographers in the field and applied them to my work regimen. In the early days of video we always had to carry around a portable hair dryer because the record decks would seize up if the moisture levels got to high. So in the winter time if you came in from the cold outside into a nice warm building the air would condense inside the machine and cause moisture build up. The warning light would come on and bang we were dead in the water. One of us would have to run to the car and get the hair dryer, fire it up and chase the water away from the record heads of the deck. It caused some very funny moments in public places I can assure you. (This by the way can still be a problem even today with electronics/VCRs/lenses. Too much moisture can cause havoc. So just remember a portable hair dryer can save your day)

Another thing I learned from others is the value of backup. A few years ago I was out on assignment and we had a young eager college intern along with us in the field. This young man wanted to learn all about what we did in our job. He was very interested in how to take pictures, unlike most of our interns who only wanted to become reporters or anchors. He asked many questions and after seeing that he was really paying attention I decided to take him under my wing and really fill him up with information. One tidbit that I shared with him was to always have an emergency stash of tape in his car when out on assignment. He didn’t quite understand the importance of this at first since I had already drilled him about always bringing tape stock with him when going out on assignment. I filled him with stories of times when something or other happened and I’ll be darned if you didn’t need another tape and there under the seat of the car was that emergency spare. So anyway he went off to graduate from college and get a job in a small market TV station. He would send us progress reports from time to time, which I really enjoyed. Then lo and behold one day he sends me a letter telling me how he got into a jam one day on a story and needed that emergency tape. He had dutifully tucked one under the back seat and it was there to save the day. I hope that what you learn in this book will in some way keep you from having a video failure down the road. What I learned in my career is that video production is 80% of it is dealing with the curves and problems that are thrown at you and 20% talent. If you can learn to trouble shoot then you will always be successful.

My first suggestion for shooting your kids sports activities is to go watch TV. Yes sit down put your feet up and watch some sports on TV. Really watch how they make it interesting at the top level. Then watch the news and see how they cover the games from a news perspective. Don’t pay attention to the content; just watch how it develops visually. Now of course you can never duplicate what the networks are doing with just your one camera. However if you can glean anything from watching it should be how they try to bring intimacy with the athletes out in the broadcast. All the new improvements in covering sports have to do with getting you the viewer as close to the athlete as they can. Bring you into their world. From cameras on wires overhead that swoop along the field to cameras in the net of a hockey game to cameras inside the cars at Daytona, it brings you into the game. Now you cannot stand on the pitchers mound at your kids’ baseball game but you can learn some techniques that can make your baseball video more intimate and therefore more compelling to watch.

A side note here, if your task is to capture the whole game or sporting activity for review as a coaching tool you should focus mainly on getting a good high view and putting the camera on a tripod. Pan slowly to follow action and don’t zoom in and out. My main goal here is not to teach you this skill since it is pretty darn basic. However if this is what you are doing you should do it right. Find the right framing to keep as much of the activity in the frame and follow it carefully. Some sports move quickly from one end to the other and you will have to be smooth. Resist the temptation to follow the ball on full zoom. You will lose. Those guys that shoot sports on TV are full on pros using much better gear than you will ever have at your disposal.

Now in order to get a good video of your child’s game you need to find that emotion and excitement that exists in any game. Think of it as capturing a few of the things that occur and making those golden. Does the team do a pre game cheer? Get up close, stick your camera wither way up high over their heads looking down or get underneath looking up and shoot it in a way that takes the viewer where they can’t go. Capture an at bat in baseball by taking a full pitch cycle in close-up of the pitcher, and then one of the catcher and then as close as you can of the hitter. Show their face if you can. If they get the big hit don’t go crazy rushing to zoom out. Follow the runner down the line. It will be almost impossible to follow the ball so stay with the runner. Look for the angles that will give you these emotional shots.

Some sports are more of a challenge due to the size of the field and the amount of movement up and down the field. Take soccer of instance, if you follow the ball the camera is moving all over the place and the viewer gets queasy. To capture some good video of your kid playing you need to focus on specific shots and not try to follow the play. Look for moments such as throw ins, free kicks, kick offs when things are predictable and you can get closer to the action. Walk down the sideline and wait for the action to come to you. If you child is playing right forward then get ahead of the play and when you see the ball moving towards you then you can find you child and roll tape in anticipation of them playing the ball. Be sure to get some shots of the crowd cheering, the coach watching (not yelling I hope) the goalie waiting in anticipation.

Hold your shots steady for 6-10 seconds at a time. If you are taking a shot of someone watching the game actually count it out in your head (thousand one thousand two…) This will ensure that you get good solid shots and that you don’t run on and on with the shot. Brace your arm against your chest for stability and use your other arm across your belly underneath to create a stabilizing platform. This is in lieu of a tripod of course. If you have a tripod it can always be a good thing to use if it does not get in the way.

Use creative angles as much as possible. Get down low and wait for the action to run by you. Don’t pan with it but rather let the action race through the frame. At a swim meet get the camera down on the deck for more of a swimmers perspective of the action. Of course you may not want to stay there when the swimmers approach for a turn. Digital electronics do not like water inside them. I was getting the most awesome low angle shots of some open water ocean swimmers one time and the boat lurched on me and salt water sprayed over the camera. I had a cover on the camera but salt water seeped into the crannies and it caused us much grief getting it cleaned out so as to avoid damaging the electronics of the camera.

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22
Nov

Piano Lesson: Learn To Play Mary Had A Little Lamb Without Reading Sheet Music

In this piano lesson you will learn to play Mary Had A Little Lamb without the use of sheet music. We will be a little bit professional and use both hands!

As you probably know Mary Had A Little Lamb is a popular nursery rhyme. Here is the first verse:

Mary had a little lamb

little lamb, little lamb

Mary had a little lamb

its fleece was white as snow

In When testing his invention of the phonograph in 1877 Thomas Edison used this poem and it became the first audio recording to be successfully made and played back.

We will not use sheet music in this piano lesson. Instead we will use a form of piano tablature or shorter piano tab.

Tablature is a form of musical notation, often with numbers and letters, which tells the player where to place his fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play.

First you’ll have to locate the note C on the piano. On a piano C is the first white key that is to the left of two black keys.

The C we are interested in most is the C on the middle of the piano. This C is called middle C because on the piano keyboard it is right in the middle, near the keyhole.

In our piano tab we will give this C note a number: 1

The white key to the right of C we call 2 and so on. Let’s play some notes:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

When you have played these seven notes you will come to the next C on the piano.

Let’s try to play a bit of Mary Had A Little Lamb:

Mary had a little lamb

3 2 1 2 3 3 3

You can use the index finger on your right hand to play this melody or be a little bit more professional and use your thumb for all number 1, your index finger for number 2 and your middle finger for number 3.

Let’s continue this piano lesson with the next line:

little lamb, little lamb

2 2 2 3 5 5

Use the little finger for number 5 if you want. The next part is the same as the first piano tab:

Mary had a little lamb

3 2 1 2 3 3 3

Now we are about to finish this song:

its fleece was white as snow

3 2 2 3 2 1

How can you use your left hand? Well, you can make this piece a little bit more difficult and also more rewarding to play by using your left hand for bass notes.

The notes from C to the next C is called an octave. You also have these notes to the left of the middle C. We can call these notes the left octave.

If you use the notes 1-7 in the left octave to play bass notes with your left hand we can notate this in the following way:

3/1 2 1 2 3/1 3 3

3/1 means that as you play the first 3 you also play number 1 in the left octave with your left hand at the same time.

The rest of Mary Had A Little Lamb with bass notes included looks like this:

2/5 2 2 3/1 5 5

3/1 2 1 2 3/1 3 3

3 2/5 2 3 2 1/1

I suggest that you play you left hand 1 with your little finger and number 5 with your thumb. This is the whole song and your piano lesson is over!

The best way to practice is probably to take one line at a time and learn it by heart. When you know the song by heart you can play it anytime and anywhere!

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22
Nov

How To Get Your Car Windows Clean Fast And Efficiently

Driving a vehicle with hazy, dirty glasses can be quite stressful especially in heavy traffic, rainy season or in the dark. It causes obstructed view and can be a driving impairment. It can be a safety hazard and could cause real danger to the driver, the pedestrians and other road users. It also makes the vehicle appear dirty, old and neglected.

There are various ways of cleaning the glasses of your vehicle. Simple, effective and cheap methods include use of clean water, a cleaning towel and old newspapers. After cleaning the glasses with clean water and towel, the old newspapers can help to give them the sparkle and shine that they require. However, the water might not contain the essential solvents required to cut bugs and the protein base of some stubborn stains.

The alternative is to use a glass cleaner. These cleaners are used together with water to effectively remove the dirt and grease from the glasses. After cleaning, the glasses are dried and then polished either with a dry towel or old newspapers to make them sparkle. Most of these cleaners are safe to use as they do not affect the surfaces, vinyl, leather and rubber of the vehicle. They are not also harmful to the health of the user.

Today, there are many companies that manufacture such cleaners. Some of them are in form of spray bottles. One can spray such cleaners on one side of a clean towel before wiping the glass and drying it with the dry side of the towel. When such cleaners are used together with a cleaning towel they provide a gentle scrubbing action that helps to remove contamination.

Although newspapers do not leave behind lint, their ink is left on your hands after the cleaning. One can instead use microfiber detailing clothes on these glasses. These clothes do not leave lint, they are safe to use and perform a thorough job. They are also extraordinarily absorbent and this helps to prevent streaking. Hand tools that help in cleaning glass can also be used. Some are long-armed glass scrubbers that help to clean parts that are hard to reach.

When cleaning the glasses, pay special attention to the windshield. This is because during normal driving, the windshield is more exposed and it is thus pelted with more debris and road stones. It is advisable to clean and polish it thoroughly. Glass polishes for automotive are available too. They remove road contaminants and water spots from the windshield and keep the glass clean for a longer time. The polish is rubbed in thoroughly using a cloth and then buff dried using a cloth or microfiber towel.

It is also important to take care of the windshield wipers as they are essential in cleaning the rear window and windshield when there is snow, rain or dust. Cleaning the rear and the front wiper blades at the time of cleaning the glass is important. They can be cleaned using a damp cloth to remove wax, bug residue and buildup of dirt. The wash fluid for the wipers should also be of good quality. It should be mild yet powerful enough to cut the grime.

Care should be taken when cleaning glasses that are tinted. A tinted window film is usually applied on the inside of glasses to provide privacy and shade the passengers. This film consists of a thin sheet made of mylar plastic. This plastic is destroyed by some cleaning chemicals and scratches easily. It is best to use water plus a mild cleaner when cleaning tinted glasses. Polishing them using cleaners that are designed for vinyl glasses if advisable. Such cleaners and polishers are also available in the market.

The above are some of the ideas of how to get your car window clean. Using clean water, quality cleaner, good quality cleaning materials and glass polish can help you to clean the glasses of your vehicle thoroughly. Sparkling glass looks better and also helps you to drive better as it improves your visibility. It only takes a few extra minutes to add a sparkling touch to your vehicle.

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22
Nov

‘Chuck the Old, Bring In the New’ – Tips For Buying A New Car

The plush leather seats, the new alloy wheels, power windows, a powerful engine…. Just the talk of a new car gets adrenaline pumping.

Buying a NEW car is simply splendid! But you need to be sure while making the purchase. You don’t want to buy something that doesn’t go with your style, something that doesn’t meet your expectations.

So, you must research before buying your dream car. Doing research for the perfect car can be quite appalling. But as they say hard work pays well.

So, let’s start with some easy tips to help you through this equally exciting and maddening process of buying a car.

It’s All about MONEY

It’s true that money makes the world go round. When you buy a car, it is essential that you have enough financial standing to buy your dream or at least to get your loan approved.

You must sit and calculate the estimated expenditure you want to incur.

Don’t think that your expenses end with buying a new car. You will have to pay for registration, taxes, insurance, maintenance, fuel, etc. Don’t forget the car loan that you will need to pay off. So, take your time and then decide the budget. You will also have to determine the down payment amount. You must know that the higher you pay, the lesser you will have to shell out for loan and interest.

If you have a pre-decided budget, it will be easy to narrow down your search.

Information Helps You to Take Correct Decisions

You shouldn’t buy a car just because your friendly neighbor gave great reviews about it. It is always better to first scrutinize information and then to form an opinion. By doing this, you will be ensured of buying a perfect car.

Different Individuals – Different Reasons

If you’re a city guy/gal, you will need a small and compact car to help you drive on the crowded streets.

If you have a family, you will need a car that has advanced safety features and enough space for everyone.

If you are the adventurous type and constantly search for thrill, SUV is perfect for you.

So, decide what’s best for you and then search for brands in that category. Make use of internet to get a detailed analysis of several brands and models. Also study articles and reviews about their features.

Once you are through with it, write down the standard options that should be fundamental in your car and also a list of other additional factors you may pay for.

A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words

Once you choose your favorite cars, view their images. You will get inside-out pictures. This will give you a perfect idea of how the car looks.

You must also read safety ratings by Government authorities. Check for any recalls by the manufacturer.

Once you have knowledge about brands and model, you will have more power to negotiate.

Rebates and Incentives

With the present economic condition of the automobile sector, companies are attracting consumers with the help of rebates and incentives. This is where you can save. Choose a car that offers a higher rebate amount and incentives like 0% down payment.

Resale Value

When you decide on the car, you should also consider its resale value. As soon as you start your car, it loses some value. You obviously don’t want to buy a car that has a low resale value. So, go for a car that earns money even when you sell it.

Buy a New Car at the Click of Mouse

Internet is the best thing that has happened to us in the last century. Before its advent, almost the entire car buying process took place at the car-lots. But with online options available, you can buy your car without leaving the four walls of your home.

Several online companies will help you buy your dream car in no time. All you have to do is fill in your preference and select the car from the given options.

Research Filters

Companies provide you with online form. There are several browsing categories available. You can search on the basis of price, model, make, style, year of production, fuel economy, popularity, etc.

Test Drive

Don’t forget to test drive the car you want to purchase. You should also check other models and finally select a car that lives up to your expectation.

When You Get Everything Online, Why Not Loans?

Once you decide the car, you will have to think about finance. You can easily avail loans with the help of internet.

Many companies have websites where you just have to fill the form and get your loan approved. If you have a good credit score, availing auto loans would be very easy. In a situation of bad credit score, you can always go for bad-credit loans.

You shouldn’t opt for the very first online company that offers you a quote. Shop around, compare the quotes, check the company’s credibility and ensure that the agreement terms suit you.

Trade-In Your Old to Buy a New

When you have a brand new car, you don’t need the old one. So, why not put it to good use? Trade- in and reduce the payable amount of your new car.

Make Your Offer

Once you have completed your search and have come down to your favorite one, make the offer. If the dealer doesn’t agree to your terms, don’t go for anything that is unaffordable.

I always believe that unless and until you have that Eureka moment for the car, don’t buy it. You are spending your hard earned money. So, don’t let it go waste. Buy only when you feel it.

Hope you find your dream car soon!

All the best!

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