Esmée Denters

Esmée Denters is a singer from The Netherlands. She was recently discovered by Justin Timberlake, and is now touring with Honor Society. She started out as a singer on youtube, and Justin saw her videos. He was very impressed and decided to sign and mentor her. My friends and I saw her perform at an Honor Society concert a few weeks ago, and we were blown away. She has a phenomenal voice and great stage presence for someone just starting out. To the right is a photo of all of us after the show; she is in the middle. You can visit her myspace here and check out her music!

Theater in the Round

Theater in the Round is a popular layout for many different events. It involves the stage being in the center of the venue, with seats all the way around, rather then just on one side. This often frees up seats in many venues, and really gives more people a better look at the show. The Festival of the Lion King show in Disney World uses this layout for it's daily performances, which is great because there are often young kids and it's easier for them to see. Many artists also have a theater in the round setup for their concerts, including Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and the Jonas Brothers. I think it's a great idea, especially for more popular bands were concert tickets might be harder to get. This was an issue for the Jonas Brothers, and I can personally attest to that. With an end stage layout, anything past about the 100s in an arena, you couldn't see a thing. This summer, they switched to a huge theater in the round setup, and honestly, no seat was a bad seat. Everyone could see, and the production was great. I hope more artists take advantage of this in the future.

Glee

Glee is a new show on FOX about a group of high school students in show choir. It is a truly phenomenal show with broadway performers such as Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, and Jenna Ushkowitz. They cover popular songs of all kinds, like Don't Stop Believing, Sweet Caroline, and Single Ladies. Watch the show Wednesdays at 8 on FOX.

Bamboozle

Bamboozle is a music festival held each spring in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It's a two day long event, with multiple stages and tons of bands. I've been trying to go for the past few years, but haven't made it yet. I hope to go this year though. Some artists who have been featured in the past include My Chemical Romance, The All-American Rejects, Plain White T's, Relient K, Hellogoodbye, The Jonas Brothers, Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore, 3OH!3, Honor Society, and Family Force 5.

Keytars

I am absolutely fascinated by keytars. I know they're pretty 80s, but I still love them. Basically, a keytar is a keyboard or synthesizer supported by a strap so you can play it standing up and walking around. Not a lot of bands use them anymore, but I really don't see why. They're really cool.

Ron Pope

Ron Pope is a singer/songwriter from Georgia. He does all acoustic and piano songs, and has one album out on itunes right now, Daylight. Not many people know about him, but everyone should. My favorites songs on the album are A Drop In The Ocean and Fireflies. Visit his Myspace here, and seriously, please buy his album. :)

Makala Ukuleles

I recently bought a ukulele by Makala at the local Renaissance Festival. Honestly, I got it just for the fun of it, but I've found I really love it. I have the one shown here, blue burst. It's got a great sound and was actually pretty cheap. It's also pretty easy to learn to play; I play guitar and picked ukulele up with almost no problems. It's so much fun and really small, so I can take it with me places.

Thriller

Michael Jackson's Thriller is one of the greatest albums of all time. There isn't a single song on the whole thing that I don't love. Michael Jackson was and still is the King of Pop, even after his death, and this album is a classic example of just how talented he really was. Some of my favorites are Billie Jean, P.Y.T., and Wanna Be Starting Something. Listen to the album on last.fm.

Z100 Radio

Z100 is one of New York's Greatest Hit Music Stations. Although they're based in the city, people all over the world can listen online. They host a number of contests throughout the year and even hold some concerts, including Jingle Ball, a huge, almost music festival, every December. You can visit their website and listen online here, or follow them on twitter.

Sonar Baltimore

Sonar in Baltimore is home to many concerts year-round. They have three rooms that can either work together or seperately depending on the concerts. The main stage holds around 1,000 people, the club room holds about 300, and talking head club holds around 150. They host all different kinds of shows and music of all genres. I recently saw Honor Society in the club room, and I'm going to a few more concerts this season. Visit their website here, and go to some shows!

Benton Paul

Benton Paul is a singer/songwriter from Highland, Utah. His sound is similar to John Mayer, and some of his influences in music include Radiohead, Mika, and Regina Spektor. He isn't very well known, but he's starting to take off. He's opening for American Idol's David Archuleta on his Christmas Tour. Check out his official website here.

J-165 EC

The Gibson J-165 EC Acoustic Guitar is one of my favorites. It's a small body guitar, but it has a great sound similar to a bigger one. I'm definitely more of an acoustic person, and I would love to have this guitar. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive, and I'll have to wait a while for this one.

Honor Society

Honor Society isn't very well known, but they definitely rock out. Alex, Michael, Andrew, and Jason formed Honor Society after graduating from different colleges including NYU and Berklee. These are some seriously talented guys who's musical influences include everything from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Kanye West to Prince. They just put out their first full length album, Fashionably Late, in September. To the right is a picture I took from their acoustic set in Langhorne, Pennsylvania a few weeks ago. My friend Katy and I have met them a few times, including that day in the middle of Starbucks! They are super nice guys, and I look foward to seeing them again in Hershey Park on New Year's Eve. You can visit their Myspace here, and pick up Fashionably Late in stores or on itunes.

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello has been around since the late 70s and is still making music today. As a musician he is very unique, and I honestly couldn't tell you what to expect when you listen. His first album, My Aim Is True, came out in 1977 and went platinum. He's released 35 other albums since then, not including compilations, the most recent being Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. Elvis Costello is definitely one of my favorite artists of all time.

Pandora

Pandora is the result of the Music Genome Project, started in 2005. The founders spent years listening to millions of songs and categorizing them in tons of different ways. When you sign up for Pandora, you can pick any song or artist, and it will play music similar to what you chose. It's a great way to discover new artists or songs. Click here to get started.

Term Check

1. Dynamic mics are used for larger amounts of sound, such as an orchestra. Condenser mics are used for things like individual vocalists. They pick up every little thing.

2. Studio monitors are sturdier, can withstand more intense conditions, and they don't alter the sounds at all.

3. A Digital Interface changes the sound from analog to digital so that the computer can understand it.

4. Reverb is how much space the sound takes up and how it sounds accordingly. For example, a song would sound different in a concert hall than it would in a small room.

5. Yes I am having fun. Lots of fun.