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Becoming a successful singer entails one to have excellent voice and performance. But becoming successful is not all that. You still need to have some traits for you to be truly successful. These traits will enable you to truly feel contented and happy with what you are doing. If you are the kind of person who defines success as part of your happiness, then these traits are definitely for you.

So what are the traits I am talking about? Good voice? Exemplary performance? Top-notched fame? It is more than that. These traits are harder to master and it takes practice over and over for you to be able to truly say you have them. So let us see just exactly what we I am talking about.

First, you need to have a heart. You do not just sing for the sake of singing, you need to put heart and soul into your song whatever it is. Once you do this, it will convey same message to other people and they will be touched not only by the song but also to your voice. This means that you love your work, you love your song and this love will outflow from you and will reach out to people.

Next, you ought to have health. Like any other work, you exert effort and emotion. The physical demand is also relatively high for singers thus you need to have exemplary health too. Stay in good shape and fitness and you are already on a good way to go. Always remember that your career schedules and work details are not that healthy to begin with so always make sure that you maintain a healthy lifestyle despite all of these.

Then you need to have humility. Competition is everywhere and I tell you once you get intimidated and be a wimp, they will get the most out of you. But having humility to accept the level you are and not compare yourself with anyone, you are already good to begin with. Facing fame and popularity is surely your way of life but if you have humility then you will be doing just fine. Along with this comes criticism left and right so be sure you have enough humility to deal with it.

You also have to have passion in what you do. In addition to have a heart, you need passion to get you going and endure in the music industry otherwise you will be beaten to pulp by sometimes unreasonable demands from your career. Get out there and do things with passion because passion will be your source of energy especially during times that you seem to be so full of exhausting schedules.

Another important must have is personality. In the music industry, you need to stand out and be noticed. In order for you to do that, you need to have unique personality and authentic ways of doing things. This just mean in other words as ‘just be yourself.’ When you have this, you are right to the point of going further.

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Without a doubt, Neil Young is one of the most important and influential rock composers and performers North America can claim. Time has proven this to be true. His signature nasal tone, guitar playing, highly personal and political lyric writing, and hippie cowboy stance have helped shape rock and roll as it has advanced from it’s earliest days until now. His experimentation with every genre, from folk to heavy metal to rockabilly, Young has created a sound and feel that is unique and his own.

Neil Percival Young was born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario. His picking style, similar to Jerry Reeds claw method of picking an acoustic guitar and often quirky soloing on electric guitar are the anchors of a sometimes ragged, sometimes polished sound.

Realistically speaking, there is nothing that can be said that has not already been written about Neil on his accomplishments, and contributions to society in other areas. The monumental amount of information is spread everywhere on the internet and most of it is very similar in content. I am not going to repeat what is accurately detailed so well in Wikipedia.

Most Neil Young fans have been obsessed with his brand of lyrics and his personal vibe from the start. One of the things a lot of folks don’t know about him are the guitars and equipment he uses. His passion is for second hand guitars, account for at least ten different models he has played on stage and in the studio. Mostly purchased directly or indirectly from some of his favorite artists, such as a Martin D-28, Nicknamed Hank after its previous owner, Hank Williams.

We saw Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in concert several years ago. The concert theme seemed appropriate and timely. It was very political. Especially against the war in Iraq and President Bush. The highlight for me was when they sang the protest song Lets Impeach The President. We all sang along (except for the Bush supporters), the words were posted on a giant monitor. Protest songs and politics aside, this is an assembly of some of the most prolific artists ever, either in solo or playing together as CSNY.

While it was hard not to hear Neil Young and or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ten times a day on the radio when I was a teenager, it still has the same values as it did 30 years ago, and there is still so much Neil Young has to offer. The preponderance of music lovers put him right at the top of the list of great artists like Bob Dylan being one of the most high impact artists of our generation. Fortunately they are still alive and doing the deal.

FYI Biodiesel has powered tour buses for Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson. Neil Young is transforming a 50-year-old Lincoln Continental into a plug-in hybrid biodiesel-electric that could cross the country on just a couple of stops at a filling station. When complete, the twin-engine car could get 100 mpg, using a hybrid engine that can run on a battery or burn biodiesel fuel. Pretty impressive for a 19-foot boat that weighs two and a half tons.

Says Neil Young,”By drawing on entrepreneurial companies advanced technology and good old American ingenuity, we intend to transform one of the largest and heaviest gas guzzling vehicles of our generation into a highly energy efficient vehicle, and demonstrate to the American public that we can re-power the American dream by demanding environmentally-friendly vehicles now,Young said.Our country is full of innovative entrepreneurs and advanced technology companies, like H-Line Conversions and UQM Technologies, who have the capability and drive to make big things happen.

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Music plays many important roles in life. Cultures all over the world regard music as a special language. A language bringing together a group of people to honor traditions new and old, to communicate with elements in nature, express feelings, and convey emotions.

My revival as an American teenager, surviving the aftermath of a family tragedy, is owed to the role music played in my life at the time. Instrumental music had been a staple of my upbringing.

I played a clarinet in my school’s concert band since the age of 8. At first, participating, was not something I wanted to pursue. My contribution to the band was a decision made for me by my parents, mostly my father. He had reaped the benefits of playing the trumpet during his high school career. He felt that experiencing music aided him in his ability to succeed in school.

My mother did not play an instrument, she sang. She sang in various choirs, and quite well. Since my major function was not singing, her support was not as enthusiastic as my father’s was. I labored for many years to attain the ranking I earned in the school band. Music lessons, camps, and many hours a day practicing to better my playing became routine. Eventually I became friends with the clarinet and I was able to maneuver the fingerings. My passion for music was born, and it fueled my determination to be better.

I was first introduced to serious pieces of music my freshman year of high school. By serious I mean that they were comprised of many changes to the tempo, pitch and melodic structure. It was also around this time when I began to see how music had a soothing quality.

The more you participate in something musical, the more it draws you in. The upbeat, fast tempo and varied melodic structure of varied pieces can be energizing.

I began to understand certain elements of music. Ethnomusicologist Timothy Rice said, “In order to study music, one must understand how music is individually created and experienced, how it is historically constructed, and how it is socially maintained” (Hast, Cowdery, and Scott, 5).

My senior year of high school I had accomplished my goal of achieving the principal clarinet player, first chair in the school band. I was very proud of this since I had worked hard to achieve it. We played some great pieces that year, one in particular I had found to be quite captivating.

This piece was the First Suite in Eb for Military Band by Gustav Holst. I began working on this piece shortly before my father died. The fast tempo of this song and melodic nature attracted me. For the first time I found a piece I could pour myself into and this emotional outlet freed me from the pain and darkness which had previously consumed me.

The First Suite in Eb for Military Band by Holst consisted of 3 parts. The first part was called the Chaconne. According to an article by Boosey and Hawkes, on a website created by Kenric Taylor for Gustav Holst, the chaconne consisted of varied harmonic patterns.

“The Chaconne”, was a melody of 16 notes that starts in the baritone makes its way throughout the entire band, and in the middle of the piece, the trombone plays the inversion of this progression. Building ever so slowly, the finale of this first movement is marked by a strong fortissimo in all instruments and a sustained chord by the upper winds as the lower brass drops out. (Boosey and Hawkes).

The second part of the piece was called the Intermezzo. This part of the suite had a much faster tempo. It was more vibrant and lively. There seemed to be a melodic structure composed exclusively for the clarinet and oboe section of a band. The last part to the suite was the March.

The March opened with a fast and loud drum solo only to decrescendo to and ending filled with sounds of brass instruments. Per an article by Budd Udell, This suite “is a work full of wheat, of which we bake beautiful and musical bread”(Udell).

The First Suite in Eb was written in pre World War I 1909. It was written during a time Holst was concentrating on woodwind ensembles. Holst was the director of St. Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith, London at that time. According to an article by Boosey and Hwkes,

“Holst wanted to make the concert band a
serious concert medium, and this piece is
seen as the first step in that direction.
Holst was well suited for this role as concert
band composer; he played trombone in the
Scottish Orchestra and the Carl Rosa Opera
Company, and he was well acquainted with
the working of wind instruments.”

It should also be noted that Holst played for seven years as a trombonist for the White Viennese Band. It
was a seaside band which claimed to be foreign, and the members even spoke with phony accents, but in actuality two thirds of the group was from England. During this time period, audiences were more likely to go to a concert held by a foreign band than a
British one.(Boosey and Hawkes)

My high school concert band played the First Suite in Eb in 1997. At this time, the band was made up of woodwind and percussion sections. We were a group of dedicated students captivated by the suite because it was comprised solely for a woodwind band. Many of the pieces we had played were adaptations from a piece composed for an entire symphony or orchestra.

During this time we were playing different pieces from composers of the 20th century. The duration and tempo of Gustav’s suite made it the perfect piece because he was a composer of the 20th century and we had the required instruments to play the piece as it was intended.

We had the perfect balance in our musical environment between the score and the instruments available. In our society of “American” teenagers, some had found their musical passion for the first time. I was one of those people. Music began to talk to me and it healed wounds as no other words could.

Frederick Gimino is the founder of DownloadMusic Downloads offering music articles, podacsts, music videos , and download service reviews. For more music related content please check out the site.

Over the past few decades, millions of non-musicians have discovered that piano is not all about symphony concert halls and complex compositions by classical music luminaries. On the contrary, although it still requires a great deal of hard, focused work to become an accomplished pianist, there are contemporary methods for playing piano without a lot of formal instruction.

Specifically, “New Age” piano improvisation is a way to create your own sounds and compositions without relying heavily upon formal technique and music theory. As few New Age pianists ever gain any significant notoriety for their work, New Age piano is perfect for people whose lives are too busy to accommodate piano lessons.

Some musicians that have made an impact in this field include George Winston, Dean Evenson, Will Ackerman, Ray Lynch, Suzanne Ciani, Jim Brickman, Enya, B-Tribe, GregZ, Deep Forest, Jean Michel Jarre, Enigma, Kitaro, Yanni, Oscar Lopez, and a few others. But for every famous new age musician, there are thousands of pianists that play in this style just for their own enjoyment and relaxation.

But first, what exactly is New Age music? You’ve probably heard the phrase bandied about in reference to specific artists, but few know what it actually means. In general terms, New Age music is organic, natural; its main purpose is to soothe the spirit and fill the soul with calm. In many cases, New Age music tries to emulate the feelings or sounds of nature.

For example, a swift, smooth, and repetitive melody may be used to emulate a flowing river, or bright, unconventional melodies and harmonies can imitate the singing of birds. With sounds that are difficult to emulate, such as wind, clouds, or sunlight, many New Age musicians simply try to re-create the feeling of those natural phenomena.

A good knowlege of chords can go a long way toward aiding a potential new age piano player with some powerful ammunition. Simply by breaking up those chords in various type segments such as 8th notes, 16th notes, 32nd notes and so on can go a long way toward creating a unified impression. And when done with taste and feeling a pianist can similate the sounds of nature using the various registers of the piano keyboard.

Then by adding passing tones and neighboring tones and occasional embellishments one can emulate the sounds of everything from wind to rain to hail to peaceful brooks and whistling trees in an effort to obtain a peaceful impression.

Meanwhile, New Age music may draw on a great variety of influences. The term is often used interchangeably with “World Music,” a genre that incorporates elements of music from outside of the Western tradition.

A free email newsletter on exciting piano chords and chord progressions is available free at “Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!”

Many people rush out to get wireless outdoor speakers and then stop to think. What do I do with them? Where do I now place them? They obviously want to place them outside, hence the name. But where should wireless outdoor speakers be placed?

We spend a lot of time outside enjoying the warm sun and the cool breeze and the natural flow of life. But that same wonderful outdoors can also ruin your day with noisy car horns, leaves, birds, animals and pesky neighbor kids playing all around you. These background acoustics can affect the sound coming from your wireless outdoor speakers.

Where an indoor speaker may sound full-bodied, that same speaker when placed outdoors can sound flat or thin. So when selecting wireless outdoor speakers, one must ensure that they are getting the right sound from them.

One way to get the right sound from your wireless outdoor speakers is to select a set that have the right amount of low frequency response. This will ensure that your speakers will have sufficient bass, which is extremely important. Bass provides the underpinning of the music you’re listening too and enhances its flavor.

So where should we place the speakers? Believe it or not, wireless outdoor speakers can be placed anywhere, even indoors. If they are to be used indoors as well as outdoors then the A and B outputs can be used on the speakers for those purposes.

If the speakers are to be used exclusively outdoors they should be protected as much as possible from the elements. These speakers are constructed to endure all manner of elemental forces such as heat, cold, humid and dryness. But even with this in mind, they will not last forever and they will require some foresight before being placed outdoors. Simply place them under a protected location and they will return years of use for you and your friends.

Where these speakers are placed will also improve or worsen the sound quality and increase or decrease the range of the speakers. Placing wireless outdoor speakers on a flat surface or near a wall will help reverberate the bass and improve the sound quality.

How about the range? Raising the speakers high off the ground can increase the range of the sound that is emitted from the speakers. However, this comes at a cost to sound quality. Similarly, if the speakers are kept closer to the ground the range is limited, but the quality of the music is improved.

These are some additional things wireless outdoor speaker purchasers should consider.

ForceofNature shows people to learn about Wireless Outdoor Speakers as well as accessories for Wireless Outdoor Speakers by writing articles at his website

Many people are amazed when they realize that President Bill Clinton can play the saxophone. Moreover, he was not the first or only President of the United States of America with musical talent. Musically inclined presidents and their instruments included:

* John Quincy Adams, the flute
* Thomas Jefferson, the violin, cello and clavichord
* Abraham Lincoln, the violin and harmonica
* John Tyler, violin
* Benjamin Franklin, the violin and guitar
* Ronald Reagan, the harmonica
* Chester Arthur, the banjo
* Franklin Roosevelt, the piano
* Richard Nixon, the piano and accordion
* Harry S. Truman, the piano
* Woodrow Wilson, the violin

Many leaders both in the USA and across the globe love music and play a musical instrument. This supports the scientific belief that there is a connection between music and intelligence.

Truman once said, “I missed being a musician, and the real reason I missed being one is because I wasn’t good enough.” Truman was president from April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953.

His mother, Martha Ellen Young Truman, encouraged his love of music, reading and history. His mother was his first piano teacher, and she later hired a music teacher who tutored the young Truman twice per week until he quit. Truman said that he woke up every morning at 5 a.m. to practice for two hours before going to school. His mother was disappointed when he stopped playing at age 15. Truman reportedly stopped his lessons because it was too expensive and he couldn’t afford it.

In 1945, his wife said that it was time he quit playing the piano. This resulted from a picture that was published showing him playing with a young Lauren Bacall sitting on top of the piano. Truman was vice president at the time, and the public knew that he was an accomplished pianist. He was said to have mastered pieces from noted composers such as Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven, just to list a few. Contrary to a popular rumor, he could play much more than the “Missouri Waltz.” As a matter of fact, some sources actually quote him stating that he didn’t care for that type of music.

Truman actually considered becoming a concert pianist early in his life. Although he gave up his dream, a piano was always close at hand in his residences. For the remainder of his life, Harry S. Truman played the piano to entertain his friends and played for pleasure because he found it relaxing. Former President Richard Nixon once played for Truman while visiting the White House.

One of Truman’s most quoted statements about his piano playing skills stated, “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.” Other sources have him saying, “If I hadn’t been President of the United States, I probably would have ended up a piano player in a bawdy house.” These statements show that playing the piano was near and dear to Harry S. Truman’s heart.

A free email newsletter on exciting piano chords and chord progressions from Duane Shinn is available free at “Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!”

I guess everybody has the desire to sing like a pro and perhaps is searching ways in how to improve the skills in order to sing as efficient as those you hear and watch on TV. Well, here is the good news; you can. There are many things you can do to start singing like a pro. It does not necessarily mean that it can take you to higher levels of your career but enough to get noticed perhaps locally. But that is a good start. You begin as a low class singer and ascend, who knows you might just be the future sensation.

You can start by honestly recognizing your voice and singing patterns. How high a note can you reach as well as how you can pull low notes up is your voice and no one can exactly do the same thing as you. A good way to recognize your voice is to try different kind of songs. Personally, my voice coach, before actually teaching me how to develop my voice, let me pick one song that I love to sing. As I was singing, he was listening intently how I used my voice to reach up or down certain tones. In the end, he classified my voice as soprano, the high voice of women. But I am not saying you need a voice coach too. All you need is perhaps a serious intention of listening to your own voice. Do not push for high notes if honestly you can not and do not reach low notes if you would only strain your cords by doing so.

There are people who were born naturally good singers as well as there are those who have to undergo tough voice lessons to get ahead. But whatever classification you are, it all boils down to one thing, PRACTICE. Even those who were born as singers need to practice to develop their voices and mold them to whatever they want. However, it is so much easier for them because they already have the skills. But for those who are honestly in shaky grounds will need a lot more tough practice and lessons to get to higher levels. Do not start if you would not be able to break bad habits but more so if you are not ready for tough training. You must be well prepared.

If in any case that you do not want to hire a voice coach, there are alternative ways for you to get that coach. First, look into your list of friends and see if one of them is totally honest and can really give you good criticism. Even if they do not actually sing, they can help you a lot by telling you honestly what they think or feel when you are singing. Of course, do not expect them to read the notes or be able to recognize any flats or sharps in your voice because that would be a lot. To hone this you need to record your voice, this way you will be able to pin point where your errors lie.

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The market for all things retro seems to get bigger every day; who would have thought that sweet wrappers from the 1970’s would one day become incredibly collectible and turn up on ebay! Dj equipment and sound recording equipment from the last century has seen a surge in popularity in recent years as a new generation have discovered the history behind MP3 players and music downloads.

Most DJ equipment and recording devices that are made today use digital technology. There are many benefits to this, cleaner sound, less chance of anything being lost or damaged and of course the technology has added to the user friendliness of equipment. But many people believe there are things that have been lost as well.

Twenty five years ago when DJ equipment consisted of a bag of 12 inches and a turntable and recording equipment had chunky buttons and weighed more than a small car there was always something physical about the whole process of recording and listening to music. Analogue recordings had to be stored on something you could hold in your hand; vinyl or tape. When digital took over and converted sound into something resembling mathematics that connection was lost

With the introduction of CDs many predicted the death of vinyl, tape and pretty much anything else that relied on some form of technology that wasn’t processor and chip driven. It was also believed, and strongly promoted by the music industry, that the new technology would improve the listening experience and signal a new era in sound recording. And it did to a large degree.

It was only after the honeymoon period with the new devices and techniques was over that people began to question whether the new sound was in fact better than the older sound. DJ equipment and sound recording had undoubtedly improved but did something get lost with the change?

In the same way that years before there was a debate between the merits of mono and stereo a debate between the merits of analogue and digital began. As with any area where there are two opposing groups of devotees both have their merits and while DJ equipment and recording devices have moved forward the debate highlighted areas where the old was better which led to a marriage of the old and new technologies and the popularity of certain items like USB turntables.

The turntable is not the only item of DJ equipment or sound recording equipment that has not been superseded by something completely different but has taken on the new technology and received a new lease of life.

Multitrack Recorders - The multitrack recorder was invented by Les Paul in the 1940’s. It enabled, for the first time, separate sounds to be recorded onto the same piece of tape at different times. Before the multitrack process everything was recorded at the same time. The technique became hugely popular in pop music and is still used today. It enabled groundbreaking records like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds to be made.

Microphones - Microphones convert sound into an electric signal that can then either be recorded and stored or amplified. The principle has remained largely unchanged although the means to record and amplify has had an impact.

Amplifiers - The ability to replicate sound with no loss of quality and in many cases an improvement in quality has come on leaps and bounds since the first electronic amplifiers. Companies like Fender, Orange and Roland have all improved the technology that has been driven in no small part by popular music and live performance.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the DJ equipment industry.
Find out more about DJ equipment and sound & recording equipment.

Ceremonial drums gave my home that great, southwestern look I was trying to achieve. I was so happy with the unique, southwestern look that the Native American drums added to my home, that I began researching and reading about the history and the influential role they play in Indigenous cultures. If you are like me, you have probably seen how significant ceremonial drums are to the Native culture but do not know their significance in tribal ceremonies or how exactly they are used. Every tribe is unique in how they use ceremonial drums but one similarity between each tribe is that the Native drums are very symbolic and part of the main focal point of the ceremony. Throughout my research, I have come to find that learning about these drums truly gives you a great appreciation of the Indigenous culture and their customs.

As you begin studying about ceremonial drums, you will find it very intriguing that the Native Americans think of the ceremonial drum to be sacred. They are most often used in powwows, Shamanic ceremonies and honor ceremonies to call on the Spirits and to connect with their creator. It is believed that each drum holds a spirit and that the drum beat signifies the heart beat of Mother Nature. Since the drum is believed to connect the people with the spirit world and lead the a healer in helping his people, you will find that they are commonly used by the healers to enter the trance-like state, known as the Shamanic journey, needed to communicate with the Spirits.

Also, as you learn about the importance of ceremonial drums in modern culture, you will find that Native Indian drums play a significant role in the livelihood of American Indian tribes such as the Tarahumara. Making and selling these rustic style drums allows them to earn a living, by selling and trading their cultural hand crafts, and helps them extend the knowledge and traditions of their culture to those who purchase them. The drum making knowledge, passed on from generation to generation in these tribes, teaches the drum makers how to make durable and long-lasting ceremonial drums with elements from the Earth and the environment around them such as pine wood and natural rawhide.

Today, Indian drums are not only used in Indian ceremonies such as Indian drumming groups and as Native American musical instruments, but they are also gaining popularity as pieces of decorative art, instruments used in school music classes and even as canvases for Native American art projects and southwest paintings. Some types of ceremonial drums are also used as southwest style furniture and western decor, such as the larger powwow drums and pedestal drums that are used as rustic,decorative tables. Today, it is very easy to find these beautiful Native American ceremonial drums online and in stores that sell southwestern, western and rustic decor. However you choose to use your ceremonial drum, whether for drumming groups or in home decorating, you will no doubt be drawn to the rustic charm and southwestern style of ceremonial drums.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and offers free tips online about buying ceremonial drums for Native drumming and drumming groups. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com

Have you ever tried to figure out your favorite Hawaiian song? Practically impossible, if you ask me. How about the 10 best Hawaii songs? Still tough.

Anyone who loves Hawaiian music knows that the Hawaiian repertoire includes so many beautiful tunes, usually with equally beautiful words, that one’s favorite is likely to change at any moment.

Like, for instance, at the moment when you cue up the next CD, or open the pages of a songbook and begin to play. The one you’re listening to or singing right now is the best–or maybe it’s the one you played last night, still echoing in your mind!

But what the heck — let’s give it a try.

One place to start might be the special issue that Honolulu Magazine put out in June 2007: The 50 Greatest Hawaii Songs.

Not surprisingly, the expert panelists the magazine chose to vote for the songs they felt represented the best in Hawaii music put Aloha Oe in first place. This is, after all, the one Hawaii song that people around the world are most likely to have heard. It’s a song that raises “chicken skin” with its beauty and poignant words. The queen herself said it was a love song, but the rest of us think of it as a song of farewell and longing.

Their No. 2 choice was I’ll Remember You, by Kui Lee — another song of loving farewell and longing. In order, choices 3 through 10 were Honolulu City Lights, Hiilawe, Waikiki, Hawaii Aloha, Kuu Home o Kahaluu, Kaulana na Pua, Ke Kali Nei Au (The Hawaiian Wedding Song), and Morning Dew.

Now, those are all great songs. But I happen to favor the old-timers, particularly the Hawaiian language songs. In that list above, I’ll Remember You, Honolulu City Lights, Waikiki and Kuu Home o Kahuluu are all hapa haole songs, with primarily English lyrics.

Not that I’m opposed to hapa haole songs; one of my favorites is Haole Hula, which so eloquently expresses the yearning to share Hawaii’s beauty.

And when I asked my ukulele class buddies for their favorite songs, they listed Hanalei By Moonlight, White Sandy Beach and Honolulu I Am Coming Back Again. I’m always happy to hear any of those songs, and only politeness in a crowd will stop me from singing along any time they’re played.

But those old Hawaiian songwriters created melodies that still sound beautiful today, with words that seem to wind around each other like strands of pikake and maile in a lovely, fragrant lei.

When I look through my songbooks, and think about the songs that stick in my head, I remember the great Charles E. King, a composer of a century ago, who created songs like Lei Aloha Lei Makamae, Eleu Mikimiki and Lei Ilima.

Or how about Helen Desha Beamer, composer of a long list of songs that include Keawaiki, Kawohikukapulani and the Kimo Hula? Or what about David Nape’s Kuu Home, more commonly known as Old Plantation?

I’m just getting started here! It’s hard to say that any 10 songs are the best when it comes to Hawaiian music, never mind a single song. Ever since the missionaries brought western style melodies to combine with the Hawaiians’ poetic language and inborn musical talent, these islands have been producing great sounds.

Along with all the good old songs, we now have an outpouring of new talent producing great new songs in Hawaiian and in English.

No question about it. It’s just going to get harder to choose “the best” when it comes to Hawaiian music. We might as well simply enjoy it and be grateful that Hawaiian musicians have produced, and continue to produce, so many wonderful songs.

As for me, right this moment? My number one song today, the one that keeps running through my head, is Lena Machado’s 1946 Kaulana `O Hilo Hanakahi. The line that keeps coming back to me is “O ka nani ia `o ka nani ia”: It is beautiful, so very beautiful. Somehow that seems the most appropriate line to be singing as I contemplate the best of Hawaiian music.

Learn more from award-winning Hawaii author Jill Engledow about the history of Hawaii and Hawaiian music at her website, http://www.islandlife101.com.