How Do I Become A Music Video Dancer?



You see the dancers on TV dancing behind Britney or Justin Timberlake. You’re inspired to take up dancing so that you can become just like your idols. And you find that pretty soon, you wouldn’t mind being up there yourself dancing with your very idols.

Sounds cool doesn’t it? Dancing in music videos or doing backing dancing is the dream of most aspiring dancers and if you’re reading this probably yours as well. After all when you’ve danced in a music video, that’s when you know you’ve made it, right? But how do you actually do it and find yourself on TV screens across the country?

Well there are a variety of ways. Some of them super glamorous such as being spotted by a very intelligent scout who obviously knows talent when they see it and says that’s you.

If this happens to you, congratulations, you’ve truly had it made. But for the rest of the people out there, there are ways to appear in a music video that are within your control. Being scouted is generally the exception rather than the rule.

The most common route is to go and find a good agent or agency who will find dance auditions for you. Most top dance jobs come through agencies who will put you forward for jobs that match your skills and attributes.

The first rule of thumb when applying for dance agencies is to make sure you’re good enough. There is no point in auditioning for agencies if you’ve just stumbled into the industry and just picked up 1 or 2 dance moves from a dance class. Auditions are tough and you’ll need to be good to go through.

Different agencies work differently. Most will ask you to send through your CV and professional pictures. If they like the look of you and what you have to offer they may offer you a place on their agency immediately. Especially if you’ve done a lot of high-profile work or are otherwise a well-known dancer.

It’s more than likely though that most agencies will invite you to an audition to become represented by their agency. There are often many dancers at these auditions, especially for the well known agencies where it’s not unusual to have several hundred auditionees.

If you do well at the audition they may then decide to take you on. And then they’ll start putting you forward for work and sending you to auditions where you’re auditioning for specific jobs such as music videos.

There are some agencies which will insist that you do not need any experience. You should be cautious with these agencies. By all means have a look to see what they have to offer, but exercise special caution. Many operate on the basis that you give them some money to get a place on their agency books, and then they won’t send you on any auditions at all. Generally you should not pay to join an agency, if you do make sure they have a good record and send their people to good auditions.

There will also sometimes be open auditions and castings which means that you do not need to be with any agency and anyone is free to attend the audition. Open auditions can be very packed, but if you don’t have an agent yet then you’ll have to go to these auditions to start building up your CV and if you want to find work. They can be advertised in newspapers, websites and notice boards.

So all in all, it is possible to succeed and get work without being represented by an agent or agency, but a good agency can help your career tremendously by sending you out on a lot of quality music video auditions which can only be attended via an agency.

Sheet Music – Its Purpose and Uses



What is sheet music? Is it a magical piece of writing that only musicians can read and that allow them to play their instruments like experts? No, sheet music is just a form of musical notation, be it written by hand or printed. Normally sheet music is like its other printed kin in that it is usually found printed on paper. Before paper was a readily available medium parchment was the medium of choice. Now in the computer age “sheet” music is also readily available online as well. One of the reasons that sheet music is called “sheet” is so that it can easily be differentiated from standard music which is a presentation.

When used in everyday language the term sheet music simply refers to a printed piece of music whether it be intended for use on a show, an album, or for a movie. Another rather generic name for sheet music is score. There are several different of sheet music which can be used in many different ways. Whether it is meant to act as a means to perform a piece of music or is just a record of this music sheet music is not meant to actually replace the performance itself. It is merely intended to be used as a way to help study the music itself so that it can be performed to its utmost.

By doing so musicians can elicit responses from their audiences that would never have been possible had the piece been played straight through. By studying the different sketches and notes that a composer has created before the finished product can help one to understand the creative process that the composer was going through. Some of the notes that may be used for this are the many proofs as well as any marks left behind on printed scores.

There are some special skills that are necessary for reading sheet music. This is the ability to read musical notation. While it is not so for all people to be able to do so the majority must still be able to read thusly. Those who do not have to depend on reading sheet music have the ability to learn a piece of music just by listening to it. This is usually called “playing by ear.” There are very few people who can do this however.

The ability to read and play a piece of sheet music the first time through is called sight reading. This ability is expected of skilled musicians as well as serious beginners who will be playing both classical and contemporary music. There are a few very talented individuals who have the ability to look at a piece of written music and hear all the parts played out in their head. This can be a very handy skill for musicians that are aspiring to write their own pieces.

Sheet music is normally carried to all performances by classical musicians. With so many different movements and key changes it could get extremely difficult trying to memorize a whole symphony. Solo performances however are usually right the opposite. The musician following this route will often memorize the pieces they will be playing. Another form of use would be jazz players. They will often have a basic piece of sheet music. This might indicate chord changes and melodies but will still be able to improvise the piece.

Legal Free Music Downloads – Songs You Want at No Cost



It’s all over the news these days. Download music from the Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are completely legal.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) aggressively prosecutes copyright violators. And well they should – it’s piracy plain and simple. But there are millions of free mp3 downloads legally available. RIAA doesn’t want you to know this and wants you to believe any music downloads you don’t pay for are illegal.

You’ll quickly attract RIAA’s attention by using file-sharing services like Kazaa and Grokster. The technology is not illegal (yet), but using it to share downloadable music is at best a grey area. And make no mistake, RIAA can and will find you!

How do I get Free Downloadable Music without breaking the law?

First understand the difference between restricted and unrestricted copyrights. Nearly all songs have an artist or record label copyright. Many copyrights restrict gratis downloads. But many musicians want to share their music at no charge through free downloads.

Why, you might ask? Some are unknowns looking for exposure, but many famous musicians know it’s in their interest to offer free downloads. It inevitably leads to more CD, concert and merchandise sales. Plus it boosts their image and popularity.

Most music download services offer a free trial period when you can download songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and the songs cost nothing. Of course they hope you’ll stay and pay the monthly membership fee, which in reality is a cheap way to expand your music collection.

Study the membership terms as some sites only allow use of the downloads while you are a member. In addition, a “free music” search will lead to sites – by or for musicians – that offer mp3 downloads for free.