Popular music of the 1980s enjoys a unique and mixed reputation. It was a decade truly unlike any other, with bold, strange fashion, massive technological advances, and a booming economy that ushered in an era of materialism. By the 1990s, the pendulum swung hard in the other direction. Grunge stripped pop to dark minimalism. Hip-hop ascended the charts with edgy Gangsta Rap. Pop moved to soulful R&B and away from bright dance music. As this solidified, the 80s sounds became quickly dated and ridiculed.
Fast forward to the 2020s. We may not realize it, but the music of today owes a great debt to many of the trends and innovations of the 1980s. Here are a few key examples.
When you think of huge 80s hits, from Duran Duran to Madonna or Prince, one recurring instrument comes to mind: the synthesizer. That may seem misleading because as the name implies, the synthesizer is a keyboard that mimics the sound of other instruments electronically. Synthesizers were invented in the 1960s, but they came to prominence in the “Me Decade,” being used to simulate strings, brass, and organs. Artists like Van Halen and ZZ Top embraced the synthesizer’s unique base sound to great effect (and to the top of the charts.) Even legacy super-groups utilized synthesizers to modernize their sound.
Today, artists like Lorde and Billie Eillish rely heavily on digital instruments either performed on a USB-style synthesizer or just through a computer’s keyboard. Modern artists assemble tracks in programs like Pro Tools, Garage Band, and Logic. Sounds can be created from scratch and manipulated in any way (even ones from organic instruments). In the late 2000s, artists began slowly circling back to the once-taboo 80s synth sound with great success.
Just like synthesizers, drum machines were ubiquitous in 80s pop, rock, and dance music. Depeche Mode, one of the decade’s biggest bands, didn’t even have a drummer for most of its existence! Drum machines were made popular by European electronic bands like Kraftwerk in the late 70s. Essentially, a drum machine is a programmable box that allows users to choose the sort of drum and cymbal sound they want, set the tempo and style, and go.
Others used them to create beats out of thin air. This was crucial to the ascent of hip-hop in the 80s. The popular Roland 808 revolutionized the sounds of Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, L.L. Cool J, and others. In the 2020s, the vintage 808 sound is coveted by modern hip-hop producers and artists. They too have sought to innovate digitally. Since hip-hop's roots are so entwined with paying respect to funk and soul through samples, the genre always has a push and pull between modern and throwback.
The sound of the 80s arguably had as much to do with recording studios as it did with recording artists. As synthesizers were being used to both broaden sonic landscapes and replace instrumentalists, less emphasis was placed on bands performing live in-studio. This wasn’t new, it just became much more standard practice. Groups would perform individual tracks in isolation, with very little natural room sound or reverb. In the 60s and 70s, groups would often seek out studios like Hansa in Germany with large ceilings. Some would record in theatres, ballrooms, and even castles to get a certain type of ambiance. In the 80s, recording became much more clinical and less organic. This led to a “sterile” sound where effects like reverb and echoes were added in post-production. Even the untrained ear can tell the difference subconsciously.
In the 2020s, digital recording can be done almost anywhere, track by track. Audio production software can remove room tone so well, that a recording space doesn’t even need to be soundproof!
Everything old is new again. While the sounds of the 80s were scorned in the decade and a half afterward, they now are celebrated and emulated.
Today, most people own a camera. With so much information readily available online, learning the right way to use it has never been easier. Unfortunately, this can be a double-edged sword.
While you have a lot of information available, it also means that almost anyone can master an industry that used to require an expensive education and a lot of time. Minimal barriers to this industry mean that the photography industry is saturated with competition.
Just because there's a lot of competition, it doesn't mean you cannot succeed as a photographer. There are a few ways to help you stand out, from using a solar power system to create a unique marketing plan. Keep reading for some additional tips to help ensure your photography business is set up for success.
Everything about your client or potential client interactions needs to be positive. From what you offer, pricing, booking, and more, you need to make sure they know what is going on and stay informed. Remember, custom photography requires an investment. Unless you are working with models, most people are not completely comfortable when getting in front of a camera. It's up to you to provide a positive experience from the start.
Making sure you create a positive experience for your clients isn't as challenging as it may seem. Make sure to use a lot of positive languages and keep things fun and lighthearted. This is going to help people relax and ensure it is an enjoyable experience.
If you don't remember anything else, remember this. People are purchasing you just like they do your photography skills. Be sure you are letting your personality shine through in your online presence. Today, people want to be able to know you and your character, your values, and your quirks. They want to feel inspired by you. This is particularly the case if you are a wedding or portrait photographer. In this situation, making a purchase is both an emotional and practical decision.
There are a few ways to do this. You can add fun details to your website. This is especially important on your "About" page. Here your goal should be to show who you are. Include details about yourself that make you unique, even if it is not directly related to your photography business. You can mention some of your unique personal values that encourage you and hobbies that you do for fun. You can even mention things like your favorite morning or evening beverage. The more personal you get, the more of a "real person" you will become in your clients' minds. This can help make you more than just another service provider.
You should also consider offering a look "behind the scenes." One way to do this is with social media. Post video outtakes and photos and in-process content that show how your photos are taken, edited, and more. While you are at a photo session, have someone take the footage to post on Facebook Live and engage with potential clients like this. In most cases, these tactics are much more effective than just trying to make a hard sell.
You can't be a one-hit-wonder. You must create and produce new and quality work regularly. Even in cases where the work is for you, it is important to remain consistent.
If you offer "free" or "low-budget" shoots to help build your portfolio, that is fine for about six months. However, doing this for a period of two years is a bit too much. Your free or low-budget shoots should not be the quality you provide to individuals who are willing to pay full price for your photography services.
When building a photography business, there are many factors to consider. Keep the tips and information above in mind to ensure that your photography business has the best chance of success possible.
Family game night has been popular for decades with families around the world. It creates a time for families to have fun together. Games have also been shown to allow kids time to be creative, think critically, and learn teamwork skills. There are many types of games that families of all ages can have fun with. It is great to try lots of types of games and see which type your family enjoys most.
Card Games
One of the most traditional forms of games is with cards. Games like Spider Solitaire, rummy, and poker are great and easy games to play with the family. Depending on the age of your family, you might want to stick with easy card games. Games like Uno or matching card games are perfect for younger kids. This allows them to learn simple concepts, such as similarities or numbers. Card games can also be more complicated and can teach more intricate concepts like counting. Card games are also very portable and you can easily take them with you if your family enjoys travelling.
Board Games
A very mainstream and growing genre of games are board games. These can specifically be good for families of kids that vary in age. Board games such as Life, Pie Face, or Trouble are fun for the entire family and can accommodate large families. Some benefits to playing board games are that they allow younger kids the opportunity to learn hand eye coordination and patience. These games also help with brain development. In addition, board games tend to have words written on the board, which can help young kids learn to read.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are another option for families. These are typically best for families with older kids who already understand the concept of games, reading, and reasoning skills. Studies have shown that by doing puzzles for only 25 minutes a day, you can increase your IQ by 4 points. In addition, puzzle games such as jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble, or Tetris can help improve memory, spatial and visual reasoning skills, and can lower your stress levels. Large jigsaw puzzles are also great for busy families. You can easily set up a table for a puzzle and, as your family as time, you can sit down and work on the puzzle.
Activity Based Games
Sometimes, circumstances or situations can make it difficult to obtain games. However, you can still have fun without any objects or items. Games such as charades, pictionary, and Simon Says are great games to play with kids of any age. This is the perfect opportunity to teach teamwork, patience, and listening skills. Games like tag and duck, duck, goose are commonly taught to young kids and are important for teach hand eye coordination skills as well as listening skills. These games are also great for kids that have a lot of energy. As your kids age, games like charades or pictionary allow you to sit down as a family and use critical thinking and language skills to interpret what others are saying. These games can be played anywhere, without any materials, and can be easily manipulated for people of any age to participate and enjoy.
Video Games
The most recent innovation when it comes to family games are video games. Traditionally single player video games have come a long way. Games such as Super Mario Party, Mario Kart, or Sonic Mania Plus allow for many characters in the same game. If your family loves video games this is a great way to have fun as a family in a modern way, you just need to make sure that you have enough controllers for everyone. However, there are other options for video games for families that might not like traditional gaming. Just Dance is a great game for multiple players and can be played by families of all ages.
Family game night is a great thing for all families to do. Not only do games help in brain development and memory retention, but they are also fun and interactive ways for families to spend time together.
Congratulations! You've graduated from high school. Like many of your friends, you're probably wondering what you should do next. The most important thing to do is to make a plan. You have many options in front of you, you just need to decide which is the best for you.
This is the most common path for young people who have just finished high school. About sixty percent of high school grads will head straight to college. But only about 40% of them will graduate from college within 4 years, with another fifteen percent or so graduating within 6 years. That means that a whopping forty-five percent of kids that go to college right after high school never graduate. The reasons for this are varied. For many students, the cost of college is a huge factor. For others, they just can't handle the stress of classes, social life and work. Regardless of the reason, the statistics show that going right to college is not the best choice for everyone. If you are one of those rare people who have known what you want to do since third grade, this is the obvious choice, but if not, you might want to think about some other options.
Including kindergarten, you just completed thirteen years of school! If you're burned out and unsure about what you want to study, maybe a little time away from academics is what you need. There are pros and cons of a gap year. Your parents might be afraid that if you don't go to college now, you never will. Let them know that actually, a huge percentage of gap year kids decide to further their education after taking a year off. A gap year can allow you to catch your breath, save some money, and gain a bit of life experience before committing to college. It could also give you the chance to gain some clarity on a career path or to take part in a gap year program that will give you the chance to see a bit more of the world.
There are a lot of benefits to attending a community college or a junior college. These institutions tend to be smaller in size than the typical 4-year college. They can be a great transition between high school and university, making the move to a larger school much less overwhelming. Tuition costs tend to be much lower as well. If you aren't quite sure what you want to major in, a community college will allow you to take all the necessary general studies courses while earning an associate's degree. When you do discover your perfect major, you'll be able to move on to a 4-year college and put all your focus on your major subjects. Additionally, many states offer generous scholarships to 2-year colleges for students who were decent students in high school, and for those who didn't do as well in high school as they would have liked, community colleges have much more lenient acceptance criteria and will give you the opportunity to beef up your transcripts.
Trades schools are also known as vocational or technical colleges. They offer certificates in many programs for trade-oriented careers. Not everyone dreams of being a doctor or lawyer, and there are a lot of well-paying trades that you just don't need a 4-year degree for. For example, you could take a technical certificate program to become a web developer with a median annual pay of about $75,000!
There are so many possibilities open to you as you step into adult-hood. A college degree is a great achievement, but if it's not for you, or it's just not for you right now, that's okay. Not going to college today, does not mean that there isn't a bright future ahead.
Painting can be a wonderfully expressive and soothing past time. It can also be messy. Whether you are a professional artistic or just beginning to explore a new hobby, it's important that you learn the proper ways to care for your equipment and clean up your messes.
Art materials can be expensive, so you should treat them with care to make them last longer. Unwashed brushes can dry into unusable clumps of hard paint that need to be thrown away. Don't let that happen. If you are unsure how to do things the right way, check out these guidelines.
Clean Them Immediately
You absolutely must clean your paint brushes immediately after use. Some people may put them aside in a cup of water, or wrap them in plastic to keep them from drying out, but this is a mistake. These methods may delay the drying of the paint, but they still cause damage to your brushes. The best option is the clean them as soon as you have finished painting. This prevents the paint from drying in the bristles.
Wrapping and soaking your brushes can weaken the bristles and cause them to start to fall out. Not only does this deteriorate your brush, causing you to need to replace it more quickly, but the bristles can fall out while you are painting and become stuck to the canvas. This leaves you with the choice to risk ruining your work by removing them, or letting them there. It's best to just avoid this if possible.
Don't Forget to Disinfect
When you paint, you likely set your brushes aside and they can fall to the floor or come into contact with germs and other substances that you just don't want on your hands. Take an extra step to cleanliness by disinfecting your paint brushes. You can choose cleaners that include a disinfectant, or use one after they have been cleaned. It's a good idea to look into disinfection services of your whole studio space to keep you and any visitors healthy.
Use the Proper Cleaners
The type of paint that you are working with will determine what cleanser you need. Oil based paints usually require paint thinner to get all of the paint out of the brush. Linseed oil is a good alternative, but a bit more expensive. You may have some luck with a dish soap, but this will take a much longer time to clean and you may end up bending or stripping the bristles from your brush during the process.
Acrylics and water colors have a must easier clean up with simple soap and water. You can use regular hand or dish soap, or invest in one meant for brushes. A good technique is to put the soap in your hand and rub the brush through it and under some running water until the colored paint has all been removed.
Let Your Brushes Dry
Many people get impatient with the clean up process and want to toss their freshly cleaned brushes into their case. This is a mistake and can cause mold to grow. Let your paint brushes sit out until they are fully dry. This also means they will be ready to go for the next session.
Handle With Care
High quality paint brushes can cost a lot of money. If you purchase a lot of different styles, such as a liner brush, fan brush, filbert, flat, and round, you are getting into a significant monetary investment. Take good care of your brushes so they last a long time. Every brush will gradually break down and need tossed out after time, but good care can extend the life of the brush. Be gentle with your brushes. Don't apply too much pressure or stamp them into the canvas.
Once you learn how to clean your paint brushes after use it will become second nature and you can do it without even thinking about it. Learning to care for your materials and art supplies is just as important as studying technique and developing your skills. Your brushes are the tools you use to bring your dream to reality, so make sure you use the best, and treat them carefully.
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