Tag Archives: audience

Ukulele: Best Musical Instrument

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Have you seen all of the YouTube.com videos lately with ukulele players? The videos originate from uke players all around the world who are contributing to the popularity surge that’s happening in the ukulele world. Young people, old people, men, girls and children are all making their videos in unique fashions which have been interesting and impressive to see that we’ve still got it. Musical imagination isn’t a thing of the past. As soon as folks have picked up their ukulele for sale they’re practicing and playing their hearts out to a national audience.

An excellent ukulele player is young Julia Nunes who records herself playing each of the parts of a song then, by editing, makes a final version of the song that features herself playing all the parts of a song on the ukulele. She plays tempo, lead, sings the lyrics as well as harmony all inside a sings video. Now this is originality!

However for those that are just getting started how can you tell how to begin. You have to buy a ukulele but have a problem sorting out these types of ukulele for sale. You can get them in a thousand music stores on-line but how do you know what one to purchase. Simple! Listen closely to what people today are saying. Individuals are doing ukulele reviews online all of the time. You can see good musicians going over their ukuleles in agonizing fine detail saying the things they like about it and also the things they do not like. If someone has already went through the headache of getting a bad uke then why would you do the same.

These awesome devices are taking the musical industry by storm. Jack Johnson, James Franco along with tons of additional famous actors and musicians and standing out with their cool Hawaiian sounds that remind all of us of the islands. As you can envision these expert musicians have already been playing for a while and likely don’t have the same instruments now that they began with. To buy a ukulele if you are a beginner differs from trying to find a ukulele to purchase if you have been playing for years. For beginners be searching for something that is good quality (usually $60-$100) that is not likely to break your budget if you choose to not continue. For somebody that has been playing for a while I’d be looking in the $150 to $500 range. These ukuleles are normally of a much higher quality than the ukulele for newcomers and are usually made from solid wood. This makes the sound much more vibrant.

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Film News: A Close Race for Best Picture Award

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Over the last year, we’ve seen a number of films released that have broken box office records, set new heights for action onscreen and found new ways of captivating the audience. Film makers have broken the boundaries of what was previously not possible and writers have kept the upper hand by creating storylines that truly have been impossible to guess.

Recent months have seen the release of mindbender Inception, the captivating The Kings Speech, and the underdog smash hit that was The Social Network. All three films excelled in their respective genres, with Christopher Nolan intelligently pulling us into a dream within a dream within a dream, Jesse Eisenberg portraying antihero Mark Zuckerberg, which won the praise of critics and audiences and Colin Firth’s depiction of the ‘reluctant king’ George VI overcoming his battle with stammering, which won the hearts of audiences far and wide.

A fierce battle has already begun between these three films for the most prestigious prize this year, the Best Picture award. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts recently released its list of nominees for the forthcoming BAFTA awards next month with all three appearing on their nominations for Best Film. The trio of films have also swept the board across different categories also, with Colin Firth and Jesse Eisenberg both being nominated for Best Actor and Christopher Nolan, Tom Hooper and David Fincher all being nominated for the Best Director Category. It also looks set to be another successful year for British actors, actresses and filmmakers, with many being nominated in the highest categories for their roles in this year’s most popular films.

Many have high hopes for Britain to lead the way this year at the BAFTA and Academy Award ceremonies. This won’t be the first time Colin Firth has been nominated, but it will definitely bring a boost to his profile should he win an award. The same can be said for Jesse Eisenberg, as a new face to the movie sphere, winning an award for best actor will definitely increase his credibility amongst the casting directors in Hollywood.

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A Handful of Britain’s Best Up and Coming Actors

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The BAFTA awards always provide an occasion to celebrate all things British, including England’s best up and coming actors. While the awards are a great excuse to take note of those who are excelling now, they also give a reason to look towards the next couple of years and guess on who is soon to be seen on the red carpet. Below are a handful of British actors and actresses who may not be rewarded this year but will soon be all over the film news.

Tom Felton

Most notable for his performance in the Harry Potter series as Draco Malfoy, Felton hopes to use it as a stepping stone to further his career. Poised to shed the supporting actor role, Felton will star in Rise of the Apes as Dodge in 2011, which is to be set as a present day prequel to the film classic Planet of the Apes.

In The Apparition, Felton will be playing opposite Ashley Greene from the Twilight series as an expert in the supernatural who tries to help a family being haunted by a presence accidentally conjured during a University experiment some years earlier.

Felton also happens to be a budding musician in his band Feltbeats, so also be sure to check out this young heartthrob on Youtube.

Andrea Riseborough

Riseborough already has a TV BAFTA nomination under her belt for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Long Walk to Finchly, but bigger things are on her horizon as she recently appeared in Never Let Me Go. Riseborough also has a larger role as Rose in the upcoming film Brighton Rock.

Brighton Rock is an adaptation of the 1930s novel by Graham Greene about a troubled sociopath attempting to cover the tracks of a murder. The film is set in 1960s England and received great film reviews after its showing in the surprise film spot during the 54thLondon Film Festival. Riseborough is sure to impress the critics in her role opposite Sam Riley in this suspenseful thrill ride.

Will Poulter

Though young and relatively inexperienced, Poulter is sure to be a hit after his exquisite performance in Son of Rambow where he captured the imagination of the audience.

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Don’t Just Read Your Script, Act It

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I’ve had the privilege of judging puppetry at a yearly teen competition for over ten years. One of the rules of the event is the plays have to be done from scripts, not pre-recorded, so I’ve seen several hundred scripts performed over the years. Each year a few teams standout above the others. One of the reasons is they don’t just read the scripts, they act them.

Plays where the puppeteers simply read their lines tend to be mediocre and often a bit boring. If they’re boring to me as an adult, imagine what children will think of them. How do you go beyond just reading the script to where you’re living it?

Practice, Practice, Practice

First, practice it a lot of times so you become VERY familiar with the script. It helps to record the play and then listen to it over and over until it’s almost memorized. Then you can perform it by just glancing at the script instead of having to read it. You’ll have a good idea of what to say for each line and be aware of what’s coming up without being tied to the script.

You’ll probably change some words in your lines while performing, but that’s not a problem. In fact, it’s a good thing because it’ll come out sounding more natural. You may even find that you throw in a few ad-libs that enhance the play. Be careful not to overdo it though, or you may cause your fellow puppeteers to get off track or lose their place.

When the majority of your words are coming from your mind and not being read off a page, the play will flow in a natural manner and is more likely to hold the audience’s attention. Not only that, but you will be able to devote more of your attention to your puppet and not have your eyes glued to the script. Also, those awkward, silent gaps where a puppeteer is frantically searching for their place in the script can be eliminated.

Energize Your Play

If you want to energize your play and make it one the audience will remember, there is one key element you have to have; enthusiasm! Enthusiasm is contagious. If you have it and express it through your puppet, the audience will be drawn into the play and their enthusiasm will grow.

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