From the local school stage to the big lights, travel and music are a potent learning combination for performance groups. Each year school choruses, bands, and orchestras can select from a host of exciting music festivals held throughout our nation and at exciting international sites. Each festival offers ample educational training combined with a memorable performance opportunity.
In the southeast, the All American Music Festival has been offering middle and high school bands, orchestras, and ensembles some of the finest musical competition for the last 27 years. The first music festival ever held in Orlando is host to hundreds of young musicians each season. Visiting troupes get to perform on a professional stage before an audience of their peers, and before a panel of experienced, professional adjudicators.
In 2008, the All American Music Festival will be expanded to include two Orlando performance venues: Hard Rock LIVE at Universal Orlando Resort and the new Arabian Nights Theater. Hard Rock Live is a 3,000-seat professional concert hall, which showcases music from national acts to emerging artists. Designed as a retro interpretation of the Roman Coliseum, the venue opened in 1999 and allows performance groups an authentic concert experience.
Following the performance, student group travelers can enjoy one of Universal Studio's exciting parks including: Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens, and the Kennedy Space Center. In the evening, students return for the All American Music Festival Awards Ceremony held inside Universal Studios.
The festival's newest venue, Arabian Nights Theater, is designed as a Medieval, fairytale palace equipped with the latest in modern sound and technology. Following their performance, students are invited to enjoy a private awards banquet and the equestrian show.
Another popular Southeastern USA music festival is the Disney Youth Group Program, which provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience for instrumental, choral, and dance groups. Students can perform for international audiences in a park, compete in Festival Disney, or participate in the invitation-only Disney Honors.
Groups interested in travel to this region of the country can also head to New Orleans for the Festival of Music, or to Myrtle Beach, S.C. where there are amusement parks and theme restaurants available for a quality performance. Student group travelers to South Carolina can also see how stars learn to shine at the Carolina Opry, which offers Broadway-quality variety shows.
Out West, marching bands are always eager to visit Pasadena, Calif. for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade held on New Year's Day. This elite parade showcases high school marching bands from throughout our nation.
A trip to California wouldn't be complete without a stop at nearby Disneyland, for a performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Those interested in international travel might want to consider the Montreal Heritage Festival which brings groups to one of the oldest cities on the continent. In addition to gaining beneficial performance experience, student group travelers also enjoy the city's rich history and multicultural life. Old Montreal features beautiful churches and squares, while new Montreal is a modern mecca and home to the famous "underground." Groups participating in the Montreal Heritage Festival can also take a guided city tour or walking tour of Old Montreal.
Travel to London, England for a performance at the Royal Academy of Music would be the pinnacle for any student performer. Located in the heart of London, the Royal Academy of Music has produced some of the world's finest musicians. Performing on this prestigious stage is an unforgettable experience for any ensemble. Groups can also soak up the excitement and culture of London with tours of Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Big Ben. Tours can also be arranged to include a trip to the West End for a theater performance and a spectacular awards ceremony.
Whether your group travels to perform in the US or abroad, there is no better educational opportunity for student musicians than attending one of the world's top musical festivals.
Some people prefer to meditate silently without any music but there are others who prefer to meditate with music. Different people like different music to meditate by. Some like to have music playing in the background while they meditate while others like the form of meditation that involves making music to meditate by.
Meditation is a simple and easy art and even children can easily practice it. With music to meditate by meditation can be made even more interesting for children. You get a choice of meditation music that is especially meant for children.
Whatever form of meditation you choose, it is important to remember that music to meditate by should be simple, calm, soothing and peaceful. It should induce feelings of inner peace and help you to focus. Loud music to meditate by is destructive and unproductive. It is distracting and creates feelings of chaos. The most popular musical instruments associated with meditation include the sitar, flute, Tibetan singing bow and the tambora.
While some people use music to meditate by, there are many musicians who use meditation to calm themselves and to stay focused before any major performance. If you are using music as a means of meditation, you should try and stop doing everything else and just focus on the music in order to get the full benefits of the music. It also helps you to enjoy the music more.
If you are looking for music to meditate by, there are plenty on online websites that offer different kinds of meditation music that you can buy. Some websites allow you to listen to a sample of the music so you can decide if that is what you are looking for. There are even a few websites that offer free mp3 downloads of music to meditate by. Just do an internet search on meditation music and you are sure to find something that is just right for you.
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