In an interview on the New York Post, Amanda Marks commented that sales of rap ringtones are yet to hit the ceiling. Amanda is the Executive vice president and General Manager of digital distribution for Universal Music Group Distribution. She further hinted that they will allow consumers to listen to a preview of the songs before they buy them as an incentive to boost ringtone sales.

2005 will go down in history as the year ringtone downloads became a blast. Can you imagine a whooping $600 million in sales? Back then it was 50 cent’s “Candy shop” ringtone that was the most popular with 1.9 million mobile downloads. These sales figures made Edna Gundersten from USA TODAY exclaim that “ringtone sales are off the hook!”

Many people will assume polyphonic ringtones are no longer popular now that we can download Mp3 ringtones. But Antony Bruno, Billboard Digital Mobile editor differs. He explains that for rap and hip hop songs their beats sound good on polyphonic unlike other genres. Most of these downloads are done for fun by teens and kids. After all you don’t need a credit card to download a ringtone. The charges will just go to the phone bill.

However, there are skeptic music review experts who are against the sale of rap ringtones to mobile phone users. Why pay $2 for a tiny 30 second ringtone from Verizon whereas you can get a full MP3 version for as little as $0.99 from music download sites like itunes? The best answer here is tastes and preferences. Some music listeners just love to identify themselves with the rap culture and so will not mind paying more to have the songs as their ringtones wherever they go. So, the am-a-rap-fan thing will hit others when they hear your phone ring.

1. Who Should Write a Review?

Writing an informative and captivating music review can be a challenging task. It is helpful if the reviewer is a musician and understands music theory, musical styles, and the type of music to be reviewed. It is essential for the reviewer to be aware of the target audience for which the music review is intended. My reviews are targeted to music teachers who have in in-depth understanding and appreciation of music.

2. What Does the Reader Want to Know?

The reader of my column is educated, has an in-depth understanding of music, including music theory, conducting,, and music pedagogy, and a level of musical understanding in all genres of music. Typical readers want to know about the product. They are looking for new ideas for presenting music in concerts and on the football field. They want music that will add diversity to their concert programming. Readers want to know certain things about each piece of music; specifically the level of difficulty, and any unusual demands placed on the different instruments and the appropriateness of the music for performance.

Here is an example taken from one of my recent music reviews:

Here we have ten minutes of Spanish flavored music that has many dynamic types of shading, and is sprinkled with sustained lines, weaving counter lines, and thick, resonant chords. The contrasts in mood are very well handled. It is a rousing number that exudes rhythmic intensity, and Spanish bravado. This exciting musical composition brings out a sense of adventure, and student will enjoy the brisk tempo and fiery Spanish rhythms.

Another review contains a subtle warning to the reader:

This is a challenging piece in that the flutes must be proficient at rapid tonguing and the high tessitura of the trumpets and horns can be demanding. The snare drum solos are effective and provide smooth linkages between sections. However, the dynamics must be carefully observed to make these transitions effective. A proficient xylophone player is necessary in this piece.

The title of the piece, the composer/arranger, an name of the music publisher should be at the top of the review.

3. What About the Style of Writing?

It is best to avoid using terms such as: “you” “your” and “I” in the review. It is assumed that whatever is written is the expressed opinion of the reviewer and if not, than that statement should be quotations. It is also helpful if the reviewer avoids the use of clichés, and generic, non-specific terms such as “interesting,” and accumulates a list of colorful adjectives that can be used to describe the music. The words “appealing” “fascinating” and “exciting” are more suitable that is the word, “interesting.”The following are a few helpful descriptive terms for use in music reviews:

freshness of sound, absence of musical clichés, colorful work, use of sonorous pedal-points, the crisp and intense combination of….., splashes of percussive color, a deep woody bassoon solo…, leads to a warm, mellow four-part horn chorale, a tender, expressive melody by the oboe.

Here is another example from one of my recent music reviews:

This piece is a tender expression and an excellent composition for teaching dynamics, balance of tone, and phrasing. The contrast in scoring makes this piece a first-rate choice for programming.

4. How to Approach Writing a Music Review

It is essential that the reviewer consider the type of review that is expected by the publisher. For example does the publisher want an in-depth analysis of one or two compositions or does he/she expect an overview of seven or eight selections?

The reviewer should listen to each selection many times to in order to grasp and absorb the many layers of sound and to acquire a deeper understanding of the music. Taking detailed notes about what stands out in the music can be very helpful. Writing a music review is a creative process that is based on the individual opinion and personal tastes of the reviewer. The reviewer must be able to recommend appropriate and usable musical compositions to the reader.

The music reviewer is not a specialist in all styles and genres of music. For example, a band director may not feel comfortable or confident reviewing music for chamber groups or orchestra. In this case it may be wise to ask an expert in a particular field (strings) to write the review for a particular column. Perhaps the reviewer can offer one review and the guest reviewer can review six or seven other pieces. This assists the reviewer and provides positive visibility and exposure for the guest reviewer, and guarantees that the reader will gain maximum benefit from the reviews.

It is of vital importance to stress the positive aspects of the music that is being reviewed. It is a wise policy to select for review only pieces that the reviewer can recommend to the readers. Often what is said in the review can be a very subtle warning to the reader such as:

A total of seven percussion players are required and the sound emanating from the percussion section must be carefully balanced so they do not overpower the winds

If a teacher has only two percussionists in his ensemble, I doubt that he/she would consider playing this piece.

If a review states that the tessitura (range) of the trumpets is high throughout the piece, this will alert the music teacher to select this piece only if he has a very strong trumpet section.

Stating that the bassoon has a lengthy solo, without stating which instrument it is cued for is of little help to the reader. It should be stated that the bassoon solo is cued for the tenor sax or the baritone horn. Most bands have one or no bassoons and another instrument must cover that instrument in its absence.

Here is another example taken from a recent review:

Sharp, precise tonguing is needed to make this march sparkle, and close attention must be paid to the dynamic contrasts between mf and ff, and ff to pp. The woodwinds must be capable of playing diatonic and chromatic scales at a bright all- breve tempo.

Music is a very personal experience and the writer’s subjective judgment can be very helpful for the reader. But each opinion rendered needs a framework of support. The writer must bring meaning through explanations regarding his/her opinions. Written comments should be backed up with musical facts and a sense of musical understanding.

5. Where Do I Find Music to Review?

Begin by compiling a list of the major music publishers who publish the type of music that you will be reviewing. Contact with them by phone or by e-mail and ask for sample scores and CDs. Today most of the printed music is available to listeners online–just type the name of the composition and its composer/arranger and locate it at the publisher, at a musical outlet or on YouTube. Some of the music publishers will send scores via Pdf files for review. It is to be emphasized that there are many small music publishing companies that are producing some very high-quality material for schools and will leap at the chance to have their music reviewed.

It is helpful to ask experienced and successful music teachers to recommend pieces that they and their students love to play.

Final Points

• Use a catchy or descriptive title to captivate the attention of the reader and unify the review.
• Here are a few “catchy” titles that were suggested from my musician friends:
• Keeping Score, What’s the Score?, Vince’s Views, Variations by Vince, Vince’s Verdict, Mr. Note It All, Excerpt Expert, Instrumental Corner, Music Mavin, Note Value, Overtones, Full Score, and Senza Sordino.
• Avoid using slang or colloquial expressions such as:.
• Man, that was a groovy piece of music! “Awesome to say the least!” “One can really chill out listening to this piece”
• Ask a local editor to peruse and edit the review before submitting it.
• Read many reviews to obtain a sense of style and content.
• Learn about writing and how to improve the presentation.
• Send a thank you note (or email) to the person or persons who provided the music for the reviews, along with a copy of the review.

Music therapy is used widely for rehabilitation of patients that have had a stroke. A study reported by Brain Journal of Neurology by the Oxford University Press stated that incorporating music into standard stroke rehabilitation treatments helps improve recovery of speech and memory.

Specifically, when comparing treatment of music to either language therapy or no alternative therapy, the music had a more significant impact on recovery than the use of audio books or no additional stimuli at all. The study also showed that the music lightened the spirits of patients.

According to the study, after six months of therapy the music listeners’ verbal memory improved by 60% and remembrance improved by 17%, much higher than the results noted in audio book listeners or patients with nothing. Furthermore, the music listeners were happier and less confused than members of the other groups. The research was carried out on adults who had suffered an ischaemic middle cerebral artery stroke with no prior history of neurological disorder.

Strokes occur when blood can’t reach the brain, killing brain tissues. This can cause disability in movement and cognition, as well as death. The stroke can also cause weakness, loss of coordination, and pain. The aftermath of the event includes memory loss, confusion, depression, difficulty speaking, paralysis, and sensory loss.

Standard treatment includes medication to thin the blood that will prevent further clotting, and restrictions on the patient’s diet to help improve cholesterol levels.

Musical therapy treatment incorporates melodies that boost alertness, mood and attention due to stimulation of the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system, which moderates feelings of pleasure and memory, among other emotions.

By stimulating this system, you trigger the wires for other parts of the brain through neurological connections. Doctors believe that the combination of music and lyrics creates connections, which help to recover losses in other parts of the brain.

Many therapists already use music as a tool. Singing songs can boost speech recovery in stroke patients. By putting words to a familiar song melody, the patient has an easier time of forming words and phrases. Rhythm and clapping, also used by therapists, aid in the recovery of movement and muscle control.

After a stroke, it’s important to begin music therapy early, during the acute post-stroke stage. During this period, the brain undergoes many changes that relate to movement, memory and speech that can be augmented by stimulation. The greatest advantage of music therapy is that it can easily be added your your daily routine. Music is everywhere, so with proper guidance you can treat yourself or your loved ones outside of the hospital, maintaining ongoing recovery and a routine of incorporating healthy brain stimulation.

Music therapy can have quite an impact when added to the standard treatment for stroke victims, plus it is a less expensive prescription and relatively accessible. When selecting the type of music, choose something that is familiar to the patient. Playing something that they recognize will improve results of the therapy and improve memory development.

If possible, allow the patient to choose the music him or herself as it may provide an indication of their state of mind and the familiarity of the music is frequently the key to memory retention. Selecting the type of music that stimulates the brain to craft thoughts is the technique used in music therapy to recover speech and recollection.