Quick Update - Username

Just to make a quick update for returning readers, and a new visitors, Welcome!


I decided to change my username as "Kiwi" is a little weird to deal with when dealing with SEO and that kind of stuff. Crowland is a) easier to remember, b) a translation of my name. #needlessfacts


That's about it! More tutorials & cool stuff coming up everyday.  Don't forget to check them out! :-)

Diversify Your Music - Kiwi Tutorial

Diversify your music? What? 

What I want to say by this, is that you should not get stuck into one genre of music. This is what can happen to actors in the world of Hollywood; they act in a series of movies, usually of the same genre, and characters of the same type and personality. This leads them to being typecast in the future. They will be expected to be in the next action movie, being a shotgun whipping, bulked up & cold action hero with extremely high pain threshold like Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis. What if they want to act in a fantasy movie? Not cool!


Now, back to music.


This is a kind of a short "Kiwi-tutorial" (I love that name!) that may help you, if you find yourself stuck in one style of music:


Say you're on YouTube, and you play piano, guitar, cello or violin. You don't really want everybody guessing what your next song is going to be like, and be right. It can make you:

a) Boring.
b) Predictable.


Although these two are almost the same, there is a slight difference. Being boring is self-explanatory, nobody wants to watch your videos. Being predictable means that people are still going to watch your videos, but they already know what they will see and hear. It removes the tension and true interest. Do you want that? I am pretty sure I don't!

How to Diversify My Music?

The diversifying can be done in a few easy steps. I've heard this from my father, of whom I inherited my musicality, and every music teacher I've had so far;

• Listen to artists that represent different genres of music. Contemporary instrumental is one of my favorites. Thus, I listen to rock and hip hop at times.
• Try out different styles, don't be afraid to copy a little!
• If something sounds bad to you, or you just don't like it, play it to a friend or a family member and see if they might like it. There are segments of people that might be longing for that specific type of music!

Conclusion

Don't be afraid to be different from your usual self. In this case, "Don't be yourself" would be the appropriate phrase. Continue making music any way and style you like, but keep in mind that your audience may be very wide, and changing your style at times will very likely get positive feedback from your followers and subscribers.

Music for Relaxation & Kiwi-Challenge

I love working whilst listening to music! It helps me concentrate on the work or the studying, but often it has a negative effect. I may get disorientated from my work, and all the distractions will suddenly seem a lot more attracting, like going to get a snack, or go on YouTube, ect. 

What kind of music helps? What kind of music does not?

To be totally honest, this is again something that depends on you. It's all in your personality and the way you work. To make an example of myself; I am extremely lazy when it comes to studying, and that has been seen in my grades throughout the years. However, when I turned away from rap and hip hop, my concentration improved greatly. I cannot explain the reason for that... I'm still trying to find out why. 
After searching a little bit on YouTube, I found out two artists; Yanni, the world-renowned composer, of whom I've made brief mentions before, and Jervy Hou, another artist I've talked about.


Now, what I noticed, was that Orchestra type music, represented by both Yanni and Jervy Hou, is extremely relaxing and entrancing. What I also realized, was that this entrancing effect could be harnessed. As I fell into a state of relaxation, studying became somehow easier, the phrases made sense. I even could translate 5,000 word essays assigned to me by part-time employer, without any stress radiating from me whatsoever. 


After realizing the power of their music, I wanted to hear more. Well, I did find more music. Unfortunately, it was so "epic" that I was totally distracted of my work. Example: ThePianoGuys. If you can concentrate in your work while listening to these magicians, I bow and lift my hat off to you! 

I challenge you to try it! 

What kind of music relaxes you? Any songs in specific? Also, tell me how you managed with the "Kiwi-challenge"!

Epic & Funky Piano Improvisation

This is something to brighten up your day! :-)

I've talked a little about different styles in music, Contemporary Instrumental like Yanni calls it, or using the better known term, New Age is my definite favorite. However, sometimes I get inspired to do these totally unexpected things on piano! 

This is a good example of that. Taking in account that this was recorded on an iPod, it's quite good.