Great Summer Parties - 22 Hot Tips to Make Your Party the Hit of the Season

It's time for a great summer party. Maybe you're planning a big outdoor event, like a family reunion, garden wedding, or milestone birthday party. Or perhaps you've decided on the spur of the moment to invite a few friends over for a small get together. Here are some hot tips to turn your average summer party into a real blast.

1. Instead of balloons, hang inflatable beach balls.

2. Give each of your guests a little battery operated personal fan that you can get at the dollar store. It's a practical party favor that will come in handy if it's a very hot day.

3. No pool? Throw a sprinkler party. Tell your guests to bring their bathing suits for a run through the sprinkler. Provide water guns and water balloons for additional entertainment.

4. Rain in the forecast? Have an indoor picnic. Push the furniture to the side, put a checkered or gingham tablecloth on the floor, serve take out fried chicken, sandwiches and potato salad.

5. Use a beach pail to hold plastic utensils or napkins at your summer party. The plastic shovel makes a novel serving spoon.

6. Keep white Christmas lights handy all year. They look great strung around the patio, deck, trees, or around the table or doorway inside the house.

7. Try to have much more ice on hand than you think you'll need. And make sure you have lots and lots of beverages, especially frozen drinks and smoothies. Summer parties are the perfect time to try out some new recipes in the blender.

8. Use a wheelbarrow filled with ice. Add cans and bottles of your favorite drinks for a portable outdoor cooler.

9. Have a luau themed party. Decorate with grass skirts, plastic leis, etc. from a party supply story. Scatter seashells on the table. Hang colored lanterns. Play background Hawaiian music. Don't forget the pineapple and macadamia nuts.

10. If you don't have a backyard, have your summer party at the park, beach or even zoo.

11. Give each of your guests a dollar store beach pail as a party favor filled with summer stuff, like sunscreen, flip flops and a novel for summer reading. Add a homemade or professionally made personalized photo bookmark inside the novel that thanks your guests for coming to the party.

12. At night, light candles for atmosphere and Citronella candles to discourage bugs.

13. If you're having a pool or beach party, make sure you find a guest to volunteer as a designated lifeguard who is willing to give full attention to watching the kids in the water.

14. Have an ice cream party. Provide a selection of ice cream and sherbet flavors and let your guests add their own sundae and fresh fruit toppings.

15. Have extra sunscreen prominently displayed and available to any of your guests who may need it.

16. If you're doing the grilling, ask your guests to bring the salads and side dishes.

17. Have Christmas in July (or August). Put up your fiber-optic or pre-lit tree, play Christmas music, serve cookies.

18. Have a Mexican fiesta, complete with make your own tacos, salsa and chips (try some fruit salsas) and a pinata.

19. Some outdoor activities kids can enjoy at a party include a treasure hunt, blowing giant bubbles, water balloon toss, fishing for magnetic fish in a wading pool, ring toss in a wading pool, croquet, horseshoes, badminton, face painting, spin art, hide and seek.

20. Serve fresh, seasonal fruit in hallowed out melon or pineapple halves.

21. Take lots of photos at your summer party. Email a few of the best ones to all the guests who attended. Better yet, have custom made photo magnets made of a group photo or one of you and your family with a message thanking people for coming to the party. Then mail them out as a great remembrance to a special occasion.

22. Don't forget to toast some marshmallows!

Linda Kling is the owner of http://www.photo-party-favors.com, which offers original personalized photo favors and custom photo invitations Visit her website for lots of free party recipes, party tips, free printable candy bar wrappers, more.

11 Music Quotes to Celebrate International Drum Month

Ready to celebrate International Drum Month with some fun and fabulous music quotes? As the saying goes, we all walk to the beat of a different drum. These 11 music quotes do their part to prove it.

1. "I have my own particular sorrows, loves, delights; and you have yours. But sorrow, gladness, yearning, hope, love, belong to all of us, in all times and in all places. Music is the only means whereby we feel these emotions in their universality." ~ H.A. Overstreet

2. "Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken." ~ Ludwig van Beethoven

3. "An artist, in giving a concert, should not demand an entrance fee but should ask the public to pay, just before leaving as much as they like. From the sum he would be able to judge what the world thinks of him - and we would have fewer mediocre concerts." ~ Kit Coleman

4. "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." ~ John Lennon

5. "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." ~ Bob Marley

6. "The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.'" ~ Aaron Copland

7. "I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music." ~ George Eliot

8. "Music like religion, unconditionally brings in its train all the moral virtues to the heart it enters, even though that heart is not in the least worthy." ~ Jean Baptiste Montegut

9. "Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." ~ Ludwig van Beethoven

10. "Oh, the brave music of a distant drum!" ~ Omar Khayyam

11. "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

So there you have it... Eleven great music quotes to pay tribute to International Drum Month. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. advised, take a music bath a couple of times this month. You'll be surprised at how it can renew your soul. Use these 11 music quotes to immerse yourself and let the renewal begin.

For more music quotes, check out the popular music quotes at Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of categories.

All The Greatest Hits - Special Fan Edition - McFly

McFly, a British pop band that was founded by Tom Fletcher, was launched into the music scene in 1994. Their number one single '5 colours in her hair' proved to be a huge hit and elevated them to a high status after their first album itself. Apart from the founder, the other band members include Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd. Thirteen top 10 singles and two number one albums are their claim to fame.

The band came out with their best songs collection 'All the Greatest Hits' on Nov 5th 2007. The first single from this celebrated album, The Heart Never Lies, could be heard on the radio from September 10, 2007. The song was premiered at the V Festival in August and reached the number three position in the UK singles chart. Their fourth studio album is expected on April 28, 2008.

Thier album titled Room on the 3rd Floor debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart, breaking all records. Beating The Beatles, McFly became the youngest band to have a debut album enter the charts in the top position. Their second album Wonderland, featuring a 60-piece orchestra, got released in March 2005. The first released song "All About You/You've Got a Friend" reached the number one position in no time and the profits that it eraned got donated to the Comic Relief.

"Don't Stop Me Now", the single from their album (released in November, 2006) Motion in the Ocean was named the official song for Sport Relief 2006. In the Smash Hits Awards 2004, Mc Fly won a total of five awards, including Stars of the Year, Best UK Band, Best Video (That Girl), Best Album (Room on the 3rd Floor), Best Stars of the Year and Danny Jones won Most Fanciable Male. They also won the Best Pop Act at the BRIT Awards in 2005.

As awards and accoloades continue to shower on them, their latest release All the Greatest Hits is on the verge of creating even greater records. All the McFly albums, including their latest release can now be ordered online through various online music shops and comparison portals. Have them all now by a mere click of a mouse.

Jacob Marshal, a dedicated writer of Rupizcompare.co.uk which provide information on All the Greatest Hits and Music Store.

Effective Use of Music in Movies

One of the main contributing factors to a movie's success is its soundtrack. Music is an essential element in most plays and dramas. Shakespeare made efficient use of music in his famous plays. Movie makers realize that a lot of the movie's business at the box office depends upon the music recording. There are many ways to incorporate songs in a movie. Musicals are one genre which is exclusively based on songs and lyrics. However, even if it is an action movie, filmmakers find ways to include some soundtracks into it.

In fact, Bollywood films are renowned for the excessive song and dance sequences they have. Hollywood movies too use orchestral or synthesizer score or even a new hit song to add to the interest element. Sometimes a movie's popularity is increased by its musical score. Celine Dion's "My heart will go on" for Titanic stayed on in public memory long after the movie left the cinema halls. The soundtrack of Love Story is one of the most enduring ever, and who doesn't download music from Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Many a times, blockbusters become classics because of their excellent scores. Hence, composers and song writers are in great demand in Hollywood.

There are different types of motion picture music. One is the underscore category like the score for Steven Spielberg's E.T. Another is the category of original recording like "Hungry Heart" for the movie Perfect Storm. Finally there is the song that is written especially for a movie like "Over the rainbow" for the hugely popular Wizard of Oz. Each of these types is used frequently in movies and requires different recordings, contracts and royalties.

Songs are used in movies to show all kinds of emotions. A romantic setting is enhanced by an appropriate love song. Similarly music has been used to make people laugh and cry. In fact the story itself can be narrated through cleverly inserted songs. Moreover, with a great background score, emotions and dialogs acquire more significance. If a producer wants to use an existing soundtrack for his movie, he can do so by negotiating with the music producer. Often, a pre-existing, hit song can help create the mood required in the movie. The soundtracks of many movies come out and go on to become huge hits in their own right. These days with digital music recording, adding new songs to movies is becoming easier.

My Fair Lady was a complete musical whose main claim to fame was the witty use of lyrics to show every mood. Similarly, Chicago and Moulin Rouge used songs and extravagant dances to create the required atmosphere. Even if the movie does not use songs every other minute, it will show action with a background score playing regularly. Who can forget the scenes of Psycho with the spine tingling music in the background? The audio mastering was such here that the score heightens the audience's fear and any time one hears the music he quickly associates it with Psycho. Such is the power of appropriate music in cinema!

Low priced recording studio equipment can by sourced and your very own home recording studio can be set up with a little effort. You can then fulfill your love of making music with home recording.

Do You Remember These 1990's One Hit Wonders?

I loved the music of the 90's and still do today. It was the decade that saw the arrival of so many bands that became huge successes such as Radiohead and Green Day, which are still huge even today.

But, there were those bands that after having wowed us with their number one hit, suddenly disappeared into the abyss quicker than they had first emerged, like the saying goes, they entered in like a bolt of lightning but flew out like the wind.

Having a look back at some of those 'one hit wonders' of the 90's most people can 'name that song' and even the year it came out but no one ever remembers the name of the bands that sung them.

Breakfast At Tiffany's, everyone loved that song and it has been played again and again ever since. It was near the top end of the charts for some time but who can remember the band that sung it?

Don't worry if you don't remember, not many people do for the simple reason that this band never had the same success with any other song after that one. They were called Deep Blue Something and they, as a band, were one of the more famous one hit wonders of the 90's.

Try another one, this one had been released towards the end of the 90's and called The Way, do you remember? So many people really liked this song and even now it is still played a lot, but the band that released it never managed to make another song as successful as that one.

There is another band that have a hit song, The Rembrandts, who? I hear you asking. Their hit is listened to by many people every day and no one even remembers who sang it or realizes that it was a hit from the 90's.

That song, I'll Be There For You, no not Bon Jovi but the one that was used as the theme song in Friends. It was really popular at the time but the band faded out not long after that hit was released.

Now that the 2000's have ended there shall be a new list of one hit wonders emerging, but who will be on it?

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Why Not Enjoy Unlimited Music Downloads?

Downloading music online may be on the lips of many music enthusiasts nowadays but to the uninitiated, it can be pretty confusing and sometimes difficult for the individual. Let us look at what the whole idea of downloading music online at membership sites that offer unlimited music downloads is all about.

Listening to music on CDs is now passé. It is not meant to sound offending but this is especially true amongst the younger generation today. Teens and young adults born after the 80s are now turning to digital music in MP3 format rather than playing music CDs on the portable CD player, which some of us affectionately remembered as the CD Walkman.

The reasons for choosing online music are obvious. Technology is so advanced that you do not have to carry a whole CD rack anywhere you go just to enjoy all your favorite songs. If that sounds exaggerating, a CD player packed with your favorite CD can at most offer you 20 of your compiled songs at max in exchange for you lugging the 6 inch gadget around in a bag. Contrast this with a small little gadget with the size of a matchbox or cigarette box that stores hundreds of songs, it becomes blatant why flocks of people are downloading music online.

It is affordable for most folks to download music files at iTunes if you are looking for one or two of your favorite hits. Though the selection is marvelous, with tons of songs, music and music videos and seemingly unlimited music downloads, however, it soon became clear to music enthusiasts that buying music to beef up their collection is denting their pockets. Now the juicy news is that there are new download sites that have sprung up, offering unlimited music downloads, including the latest soundtracks, music videos etc to members at incredibly low one-time prices. Imagine being able to download unlimited music files for the price cheaper than 2 DVDs. Isn't that awesome?

Human beings are creatures of dilemma. When the choices are few, we grumble about the lack of choices. But when the download sites are numerous, we complain about the difficulty to select the right membership download site. Fret not, as there are a few quick tips to select an ideal site for unlimited music downloads.

1. Selection of Music

Be sure to search through the catalogue and stick with the one that offers you the right songs you wish to download.

2. Ensure Format Compatibility

The format of music files offered must be compatible with your portable media player, ie MP3 player. Look for sites that offer MP3 ready music files to save you the headache of converting the music files into playable format ie MP3.

3. Compare Pricings

Look at the pricing of each download site. All sites offer millions of files, and it is not wrong to say that they provide access to unlimited music downloads. As a smart consumer, paying the same price for 20 million songs at Site A rather than for 10 million songs at Site B sounds like a better deal isn't it? However, be sure to check the selection.

I believe that this article has given you a brief introduction to the online world of unlimited music downloads. You can pick up more detailed tips on how to select a great music download site that suits your preference and read a review of the most popular sites at my blog.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Learn where you can have instant access to unlimited music downloads - all your favorite hits, latest music videos, MP3s and more at unlimited-music-downloads.blogspot.com

New Rap and R&B Music - Who is Releasing New Albums?

The world moves fast these days, and sometimes its just plain hard to keep up with the latest news on our favorite music and releases from our favorite artists. New rap and R&B music comes out nearly every week, and for those with a busy schedule, it can to be a time consuming task just to find out what's new in the hip hop world. So here is a quick over view of what is happening in the hip hop culture today:

Kanye West continues to release chart topping hits such as Coldest Winter, Heartless and Robocop. Labels like GOOD Music and Def Jam Records continue to promote Kanye as one of the hottest names in new rap and R&B music. His latest album, 808s and Heartbreak, is scheduled for release on November 25th, 2008.

Another Def Jam Records artist that is scheduled for a new album release on November 25th is Ludacris. The new album, Theater of the Mind, contains hits like One More Drink featuring T. Pain. The video for One More Drink just became available on November 4th. Other tracks on the new album include What Them Girls Like, Call Up the Homies featuring The Game and Willy Northpole, and Wish You Would featuring T.I.

50 cent has a scheduled release date for his new album, Before I Self Destruct, of December 9th of 2008. Along with the release of the album comes the release of a coinciding movie. The current hit from the up and coming album, is Get Up, which is already available for purchase.

Releasing new rap and R&B music in November is Trick Trick, with his album, The Villian. The Villan is Trick Trick's second album, and contains a re-make of Run DMC's Together Forever, with special guests Kid Rock, Esham, and Proof. The album is scheduled to hit shelves on November 11th.

Jedi Mind Tricks also has a release date of November 11th for the new album, A History of Violence. Fans of this group are excited to see what the new album has to offer.

The Evidence will be releasing the album, The Layover EP, on November 25th. The hit single, For Whom The Bell Tolls, will grace the album and feature accompanying artists will.i.am, Phonte, and Blu.

November 4th brought about the release of Q-tip's latest album, The Renaissance. The album was Q-tip's first release in nearly ten years. Much of the album is based on the life of the hip hop culture, with some songs dedicated to friends that have passed away.

November is a big month for new rap and R&B music, with big name artists releasing long awaited albums. December seems to hold just as much anticipation for those who can't get enough of the hip hop culture.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about new rap and r&b music [http://newmusicdownloads.info/new-rap-and-rb-music-who-is-releasing-new-albums], please visit New Music Downloads [http://newmusicdownloads.info] for current articles and discussions.

Hooks to Hits: The Key to Writing Songs That Sell

The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable "album cut" from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were so easy to create, we'd all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs' hooks to appeal to both audiences and the People Behind Desks? Read on!

To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we're discussing to the "real world" of your material.

Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For "Nuggets of Truth"

It's my firm belief that the old adage, "write what you know" is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from "real life" experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.

Let's say you're starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious "nuggets of truth":

o First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your "aha! moments."

o What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?

o What contribution do you want to make to the world?

o What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?

o In the movie "Walk The Line," Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he'd sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?

o How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your "soul" down in song?

o Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.

o Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can't express. Go overboard!

Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.

Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.

Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song's Hook(s)

In the Verse/Chorus song form -- the most common form these days -- the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you "deliver the goods." It's the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity... or all three! It can't be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.

o Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.

o Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.

o Don't pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!

o A great line bears repetition. If it's worth saying, it's usually worth saying again.

o Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.

o Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.

o Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.

o If you are thrilled by your hook, "they" probably will be too. And if you're holding back, they probably will too!

o Show off your "money" note, your slammin'-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.

Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal

Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn't sing all of a song's verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn't mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:

o An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true

o A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.

o A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern

o An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path

o Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring

o A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way

Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We're hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.

By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.

Happy songwriting!

Copyright 2006 Alex Forbes

Award-winning hit songwriter and songwriting coach Alex Forbes is the founder of http://CreativeSongwriter.com She has had over 65 songs released and has placed numerous songs in feature films and on TV. For more free articles, one-on-one coaching, song critiques and more, visit Alex online at: http://CreativeSongwriter.com Alex is also the author of "The Songwriter's PlayBook: 10 Weeks to Better Songs."