JSC’s Music

Sugarland is one of today’s top Country Acts. Their recent song “Stay” has won multiple awards. The duo, consisting of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush have found something that few have mastered. Nettles voice is unbelievable as the group’s lead vocals. Bush sings background vocals blending perfectly with Nettles. He also plays mandolin and acousic guitar on all songs.

The group, founded in 2003 by Nettles and Bush originally had a third member, Kristen Hall. She also sang background and played guitar. She left the group in 2005 hoping to find a solo career.

The group got their big break in 2004 when they signed with Mercury Nashville Records. That year their first single, “Baby Girl” raced up the charts. The album, Twice The Speed Of Life went multi-plantinum. In 2006 Enjoy the Ride was released and also went multi-plantinum.

Sugarland teamed up with rockers Bon Jovi to perform a CMT Crossroads show. The bands sang each others songs as well as the duet Nettles had already recorded with Bon Jovi entitled “You Can’t Go Home”. The crowd went wild as country and rock merged together that night.

Success has come to Sugarland afer years of hard work. Nettles and Bush blend perfectly and have a clear sound. Many fans are looking forward to see where the ride leads them next.

Any aspiring musician will tell you that to walk into a music shop and buy sheet music can be an expensive exercise. Whether you’re a drummer, guitarist, bass player, trumpet player or violinist, sheet music suitable for your instrument costs – the printing, binding and copyright charges on sheet music can make your hobby almost unfeasible. If the music is from a popular band, then the costs are even higher. And if it’s your chosen profession, then you can find much of your profit being handed over just so you have something to play at your next gig.

But what if you can get free sheet music, so you not only have the correct music (and, if needed, lyrics) but you don’t have to pay? Surely this would make it all worthwhile, and your money could be spent elsewhere, like new equipment and petrol to get you to and from practice or gigs. Also, to copy free sheet music would be as simple as hitting the print button, or emailing it to your band members. You would not have to visit the music shop and pay again, or break copyright laws by photocopying the sheets.

Something to consider next time you get your instrument out!

Miley Cyrus shot to teenage superstardom when she made it big in the Disney Channel’s original series “Hannah Montana”. She plays Miley Stewart, a fifteen year old girl who lives a double life as a high school kid and a pop star at the same time. Cyrus has earlier expressed her desire to be an actress, and was invited to act in Tim Burton’s “Big Fish”. She later got her big break when she was accepted for the part of Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in the titular series. She was initially thought to be too young and small in size to portray the teenage star but producers relented after being won over by her charm and energy. Cyrus has been compared to Hillary Duff and was said to possess the same stage presence as Shania Twain. Other stints include a cameo appearance in 2007’s High School Musical 2. She also lent her voice and brought Yatta, a character in Disney’s The Emperor’s New School to life.

Most recently, Cyrus has come under fire for showing a wilder side of her, a contrast to her wholesome teenage image when she posed provocatively for photographs while showing off her green bra in the arms of a boyfriend.

The Beatles are unarguably one of the greatest icons of music the world has ever seen. Hailing from Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon sent the world into a frenzy in the early 1960’s with their brand of peace-loving music. The Beatles enjoyed immense popularity and influenced many artistes in their musical careers. Jimi Hendrix himself did an excellent cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which impressed Paul McCartney. David Bowie sang his own personal heartfelt rendition of Across the Universe while Elton John did a cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

To date, they have successfully unleashed over 40 varying albums, EPs and singles, and fans snapped them up from the record store shelves, putting this unrivalled band into the number one spot almost every time their music hits the charts. So successful were The Beatles in their musical endeavors, it was said that they were one of the few, if not only, bands in musical history to have sold over one billion records all over the world in such a short time. This figure was an estimate in the year 1985. Now, more than two decades later, things have not changed at all. Their popularity did not wane even with the death of John Lennon, arguably the most loved Beatles member. The surviving band mates released The Beatles Anthology and this album sold 25 million copies before the year 2006.

Taylor Swift, since releasing her first self-titled album in October of 2005, has become an overnight sensation. The country singer first appeared on country radio stations with her single “Tim McGraw”. But her popularity began to grow tremendously when her single “Our Song” was released.

With her sweet, pure, and youthful voice, Taylor Swift has captured the hearts of millions of her fans. Her fan base is the largest one country music has seen in a long time. People from the ages of five to ninety-five enjoy her music. Even teenagers, who are usually sucked into pop and rap, can enjoy and relate to the eighteen-year-old vocalist’s music.

Songs like “Tim McGraw”, which was written for a boyfriend who moved away, and “The Outside”, which Taylor wrote when she was only twelve years old, show us deep inside Taylor Swift’s mind.

Taylor recently won the CMA Horizon Award, and, while crying on stage, thanked her fans and her parents, showing us that she really is country music’s sweetheart.

I predict that Ms. Swift is going to be sticking around country music for a long time. This young lady will put out album after album and will sell out every time, because of her sweet voice, and her lovely, and vulnerable lyrics.

George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney brought music to the world in the early 1960s, and are probably the greatest musical group of men there will ever be. These four brought a type of music that the world has never heard before to America. Since the Beatles broke up, their type of music has proven to be one of a kind. No one has ever been able to make a sound as good as they have, and their music will remain in time, and be remembered forever.

The lyrics to their songs are unbelievable. Many are so powerfully written, and some are just fun to bop your head to. Singles like “Let it Be” have such a strong meaning that they will live forever, and “Eleanor Rigby”, with it’s amazing tune and great message will never be able to be beaten.

The way these four men sang these songs was incredible as well. They all felt the lyrics, and you can tell in their voice.

John, George, Ringo, and Paul brought music to the world from 1962 until 1975, when they all finally split up. These thirteen years of music will be remembered in history forever. In my opinion, these were the thirteen greatest years music has seen in the past two hundred years.

Carrie Underwood won the hit FOX television show American Idol in 2005, and has since been America’s sweet heart and a star in country music. The country crooner was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 2008, and with good reason. In 2006, her gorgeous voice gifted the country music genre with singles like “Before He Cheats”, and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” from her first album, “Some Hearts”. Only one year after her rise to stardom, Carrie was awarded two American Country Music awards; Top New Female Vocalist of the Year, and Single Record of the Year for “Jesus, Take the Wheel”. Just weeks later, the artist received two CMT awards: both for her single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”. And on November 6, 2006, a little over a year after she won American Idol, the star took home the CMA Horizon Award, and the CMA Vocalist of the Year award: Two excellent achievements made within her first two years of stardom.

Not only has this songbird been recognized by all of country music as a great musician, but also by all of her fans. Carrie developed a large fan base while on American Idol, and these fans have stuck with her throughout her career.

Carrie’s career is still going strong. The artist recently put out a new album, “Carnival Ride”, and the singles “All American Girl” and “So Small”, have been playing on country radio ever since.

Christina Aguilera has always been a vocal powerhouse. Beginning on the talent competition “Star Search”, Christina then landed a role on the Mickey Mouse Club.

Christina has really evolved since her days on the Mickey Mouse Club. The diva grew from a small child to a gorgeous diva. The only thing that hasn’t changed about her is her voice. This songbird has always had amazing vocal ability. With a four octave voice range, Christina is the voice that will live forever in music. At age 11, she became the youngest to sing at a major sporting event, and that’s not the only way she is making history.

Christina has come out with hits such as “Reflection”- a powerful ballad about trying to find out who you really are-, “Come on Over”- a poppy and upbeat song-, and “Blessed”- a song about how blessed you feel to have a loved one. These songs will live in the hearts of her fans forever, and her new hits, such as “Ain’t No Other Man”, a tune written about devotion to a loved one, will join them.

Christina’s career is only just beginning. Her beautiful voice will grace us for decades to come, and I look forward to hearing new hits by this diva.

Despite all of the controversy that surrounds her, Britney Spears still manages to make plenty of money off of her music. As a teenager, Britney Spears was America’s sweetheart. The starlet’s hit 1999 album, “Hit Me Baby One More Time” sold over 25 million albums, and at the end of 2003, Britney became one of the youngest people to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2004 when Britney’s downfall began. It all began when she married a childhood friend, and annulled the marriage less than a week later.

Throughout her entire controversies and the twists and turns of Britney’s life though, she has managed to put out single after single, most of which, have done well. No matter how much people criticize Britney, she keeps giving them more singles and albums, and they keep buying. The singer recently put out a new album entitled “Blackout”. This album includes singles like “Gimme More” and “Piece of Me”, both of which have catchy tunes, and have done tremendously well on iTunes music store.

Britney Spears may be surrounded with controversy, but this girl is putting out some pretty okay songs, and as a result, is making a lot of money for herself.