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New Music Billboard allows the public to listen to music for free from their favorite Indie Artist. Traditional Billboards cover mostly mainstream music, but New Music Billboards features new and up and coming Singers and Bands.

New Music Billboards features music that runs along side more mainstream or commercial music and has frequently used the term Indie music. Small labels or individuals marketing their own music often participate in the Indie Music scene. It is important to uncover unknown bands because there is so much music talent out there who simply lack ample marketing.

During the 1990s, Indie music became widespread and answered an increasingly larger market of people who were looking for alternatives to the mainstream music institutions. In the same way that alternative was used before it became an actual genre of mainstream music, Indie is sometimes used in place of underground as a term to describe music.

There are many places online where you can download Indie music for free. One of the better resources is our site at New Music Billboard.com

Becoming involved in the Indie music scene typically, and sometimes still does, require one to move to a city or town where theres an active Indie music scene. Traditionally, hooking up with other artists and fans was a way to build your career as a new artist.

Seasoned musicians and new artists now have the opportunity to record and publish their music from the comfort of their own studio. Income can be made from building a fan base and by selling merchandise, concert tickets and traditional CDs.

Some Indie groups are now picked up by Indie record labels or even major record labels. A good resource to find Indie Music Labels is New Music Label.com

While Indie music is still considered off from mainstream music scene, it is a place where new artists can build a fan base and begin many of the marketing components that they are going to need to be success in the longer term.

Ask a boy what he wants to be when he grows up, and youre unlikely to hear the response of circus ringmaster. And even if a youngster is intent on stepping into the center ring, most would not know how to get started on such a career path.

That path can be rather circuitous, as it was for Tyron Stucks McFarlan Jr., who grew up a military brat and enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 16. He completed advanced training while attending college, and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in criminal justice. But, as McFarlan puts it, Whatever is truly inside you is going to come out-sooner or later, and for him that whatever was music; in high school hed discovered a talent for singing and performing.

After college, McFarlan ventured into musical theater, modeling and commercial work. But it was his unique combination of talent, work ethic and physical presence that made him ideal for his biggest role: Ringmaster for The Greatest Show on Earth.

McFarlan describes his good fortune to be selected as Ringmaster as an occasion to celebrate life and looks forward to sharing his excitement with his daughter Nymah, who will visit him on the road throughout the shows tour.

As Ringmaster, McFarlan is considered the voice of Ringling Bros., and is excited about vibing with the audience and interacting with many different talents and nationalities. Some of the acts he proudly introduces to circus-goers include:

• Brian and Tina Miser (Mr. and Mrs. Human Cannonball)-A married couple that takes devotion-and detonation-to new heights.

• Taba Maluenda-Incredible feline trainer and superior tumbler; will amaze and astonish with his seven enchanting Bengal tigers.

• Clown Alley-Delivering dining disorder at the local pizzeria. Plus a basketball challenge against the Windy City Acrobats.

• Powerful Pachyderms and Paragons of Playfulness-What would the circus be without elephants? Ten-ton diva, the amazing Asia, mesmerizes all as she carefully walks over six production women.

Tyron McFarlan is a genuine American hero-a dedicated military serviceman-as well as an imposing stage presence and powerful vocalist. McFarlan takes charge of the 135th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, commandeering his talented troops and sending them forth to conquer the evil forces of Mundane Monday, Tedious Tuesday, Wearisome WednesdayIn other words, he and his fellow Ringling Bros. performers are Saving The Day From The EverydaySM!

TVLand and Nick-at-Night are not the only places we find classic television shows. They are cropping up more and more places. Classic TV collectibles are popular items on auction sites such as Ebay. Enter Classic television show collectibles into your Google-powered search engine and you will find around 170,000 possibilities.

Run through a few of those results and you will find everything from classic television DVDs, lunch boxes, costumes, watches, salt and pepper shakers, vintage posters, and dolls. A quick search on Amazon.com found The Best of Donny and Marie (DVD) Volume 1 (1976). There are websites and online stores whose sole purpose is to sell classic television paraphernalia. These sites are capitalizing on the baby boomers affinity for nostalgia. Collectors are scooping up the vintage collectibles.

There are companies who are bringing back the collectibles by manufacturing New Vintage collectibles. New metal lunch boxes with Donny and Marie, Superman, The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and even the Dukes of Hazzard are popping up all over the place. With true vintage lunch boxes going for hundreds of dollars, these replacements, although lacking authenticity, are an affordable option for those who just want to revisit the good old days of classic television.

The release of classic TV DVDs has made it possible for people to sit back and enjoy hours of their favorite shows from yesterday. The appeal of these shows for many is the down-home nature of the comedy. They dont rely on profanity, off-color remarks, or blatant sexual angles for their humor. They remind us of a simpler time. Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher, The Partridge Family, The Waltons, The Brady Bunch, and many more shows take us back to a time when it was okay to say things like Gosh and Golly. It was more than okay to love your family and country. It was expected. It was safe to turn on the television with the family and enjoy a nice show together.

The collectibles associated with these shows are gaining in popularity. As many from those generations begin to find more time for hobbies and have a little extra disposable income, the collectibles are becoming more desirable. Donny and Marie dolls, which were released in August 1976 with an accompanying TV Studio, are popular finds. Sonny and Cher costumes are popular at costume parties. The Partridge Family memorabilia is making a strong comeback, as well.

Some of these classic television shows are enjoying a rebirth due to remakes of the originals. The Brady Bunch surged forward after a new generation was exposed to a less-than authentic version of the show in the 1995 version. Even with the tongue-in-cheek style of this movie, many people began seeking authentic Brady Bunch memorabilia and collectibles. The market for these items soared. The same held true for the Scooby Doo collectibles after the 2002 release of the movie. This one was so popular a sequel was made. This remake has brought about a whole new market for Scooby Doo collectibles, new and old alike. After the movie was released classic Scooby Doo DVDs were flying off the shelves. With the popularity of these classic television remakes it is not unrealistic to expect many more to follow.

As with any commodity, as the demand increases, the price will rise. Many collectors search for pieces to round out their collection for a more intrinsic value, rather than simply price. A collection of classic television show collectibles may be worth a substantial amount of money, but it is the nostalgia that holds the true value. You cant put a price on the memories those collectibles will elicit, or the feelings locked deep inside that are released when you hold that Donny and Marie lunchbox just like the one you had as a kid.

To find that special classic TV DVD or other collectible it may be as simple as hitting search on your search engine. Whether it is a find at a garage sale or a purchase off the web, it is the joy of releasing that inner child and finding that peace that simple joys bring that makes classic television collectibles true treasures.

~Ben Anton, 2007

, 2007

Every town throughout the world has one or two fully dedicated aspiring guitarists and bassists. These disciplined folks spend countless hours improving their craft. Their local musician community is made up of a small group of less-dedicated folks and people with divergent tastes in music. To the truly passionate musician, sometimes this can be frustrating. The dedicated guitarists and bassists of these communities have often surpassed the ability of local teachers, and are thus on their own following their musical heroes. Although guitar tab books and guitar lesson DVDs help, trial and error becomes the primary method.

If you are one such individual, there is a musician resource that you may have overlooked: the Internet. Now, please dont misunderstand. I know that you have already found out about the internet. You use the internet every day and you have probably found countless guitar tab sites, guitar lesson sites, band classified sites and the like. You have learned a lot on the internet. Your eyes have found the Internet, but has your music?

When you connect your instrument to your computer, you connect your music to the rest of the worldwide community of musicians. Out there on the internet, unlike in your home town, are many many people just like you, who want to hear your music. They are as dedicated as you, they are into the same music, they are your peers without question, and they want to hear what you are working on.

This article teaches you how to plug your guitar or bass right into your computer, to start sharing your musical ability with the world-wide internet music community. We are assuming that you have an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar with a pickup.

Overview

Turn your computer around and look at the back of it. You should see a walkman-style mini headphone jack in one of the shiny steel plates back there. Actually, you should see 3 mini jacks. If you look closely, they have little etched pictures next to them. One is a picture of a mic, one is a picture of headphones, and the other some picture you dont know what it is. The one that is not mic and not headphones is the line-in jack. Your guitar has a 1/4 inch cable that is too big to fit into this mini headphone jack. So, you will need an adapter that will convert the quarter inch jack to a mini jack. You can find this sort of adapter at your local electronics shop. In the U.S., Radio Shack is your best bet.

The following are three scenarios that describe how to plug your instrument into your computer.

Average Situation

Heres the deal: your guitar is supposed to plug into the line-in jack. But your guitar is not loud enough to play direct into a line-in. So you have to put an effects pedal with a volume control in between the PC and your guitar. That way you can give your guitar enough of a volume boost to hear it well on your PC.

Poor Situation

If you dont have an effects pedal, or something else to give your guitar a slight volume boost, then the line-in method wont work. Your guitar will be too quiet. If this is the case, you will need to plug your guitar into the mic jack instead. The guitar is too loud for a mic jack. So, you will have to turn the guitar down for it to record properly. Even then, it wont sound too good. Computer mic jacks just dont sound good. But, it works.

Ideal Situation

Ideally, here is what you want to do: get a mixer, plug your guitar into your amp, mic the amp in a sound-proof room. Turn it up really loud. Mix your effects into the signal at the mixer, and plug the mixer line out into the line in of your computer. If you have all the equipment for this, then I would suggest you get one more item: a studio-quality audio card. These cards have improved circuitry and software that will significantly improve the sound of your records and the flexibility of your system.

I hope this article has been helpful to you and that your music inspires and fulfills you throughout a long and happy career. I also hope that you will join a musician community on the internet and get as much satisfaction out of it as I have.

He was recognized by his trademark phrase I dont get no respect.

Born on November 22, 1921 in Babylon, New York, Rodney Dangerfield began writing jokes at age 15 and performing his comedy by his late teens. For ten years, he struggled as a stand up comedian and worked as a singing waiter to make ends meet. When his comedy career failed to really take off, Dangerfield, who had been working in entertainment as Jack Roy, left show business for a regular job. He spent the 1950s selling aluminum siding in New Jersey while supporting his first wife and two children.

He took another chance at show business after his divorce in 1961 and became known for the rest of his life as Rodney Dangerfield. By this time, he was approaching his fortieth birthday. His big break came when he appeared as a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show. He did what few people were able to do he made Ed Sullivan laugh. During the 1960s he made the rounds of many of the most popular variety shows. He performed his standup on The Joey Bishop Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Jackie Gleason Show. In 1969 he made his first of 35 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In addition to his gigs on television, he spent his time making the rounds of comedy clubs throughout the country.

In 1969, the comedian opened his own standup comedy club, Dangerfields in New York City. From its inception, it has been one of the most popular comedy clubs in America, receiving rave reviews by top newspapers and entertainment guides. Since Dangerfields opened its doors almost 40 years ago it has seen the likes of Jay Leno, Jim Carey, Chris Rock, Andrew Dice Clay, Tim Allen and Jerry Seinfeld grace its stage. Many of the comedy clubs biggest draws find themselves as guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or Late Night With David Letterman.

Having cemented his place in stand up comedy history, Dangerfield turned his attention to acting. He had his first movie role in the 1971 film The Projectionist and had a role on the television show Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover later in the decade. The acting roles came slowly but in 1980 he landed a role that made him a household name. He starred as the obnoxious real estate developer Al Czervik in the comedy smash Caddy Shack. Suddenly people who didnt know much about comedians knew all about Rodney Dangerfield.

He followed Caddy Shack with two other 1980s comedies, Easy Money and Back To School. In 1991, he made the animated movie Rover Dangerfield, the story of a dog that gets no respect. Throughout his career, his line about getting no respect was his trademark.

Dangerfield branched out into a serious role next. He played the abusive father to Juliette Lewis character in the controversial film Natural Born Killers. It has been reported that Dangerfield was allowed to write his own lines for the role. This was to be his only serious film role. He followed it with more comedies like Meet Wally Sparks and The Godson. In 2000, the almost 80-year-old comedian starred alongside Adam Sandler in Little Nicky.

His very last acting role was that of God in 2005s Angels with Angels. It was released posthumously. Dangerfield died on October 5, 2004. He had fallen into a coma after heart surgery and never regained consciousness. His tombstone reflects his comedy. It reads Rodney Dangerfield There Goes the Neighborhood.

His comedy career spanned over 60 years. In addition to all of his stage and screen accomplishments during those years, he also won two awards for his achievements. In 1981 he won a Grammy Award for his comedy recording titled No Respect. In 1995 the American Comedy Awards honored him with a Creative Achievement Award.

One of his lesser-known achievements was that he was the first entertainment personality to have his own website. In 1995 he created Rodney.com, which is still in existence today.

During Rodney Dangerfields career he had success on the comedy stage, in film, and on the television. He gave countless other comedians the chance to show their stuff on the stage at his own comedy club. His trademark line, I dont get no respect will forever be associated with the comedian who in spite of his onstage persona was loved and respected by millions of fans.

~Ben Anton, 2007

~Ben Anton, 2007