Can you tell us a little bit about your musical background?

I have been involved with music since I was very young, and have always enjoyed singing. I performed my first solo in the preschool nativity play when I was around 3 years old. I started taking piano lessons when I was 7 years old, violin when I was 9, and have sung solos in the Cape Town Eisteddfod every year since I was 8 -- although I only started weekly singing lessons when I was 13.

From 2005 to 2008, I was a part of Pro Cantu Youth Choir, an internationally-acclaimed a cappella youth choir led by conductor Leon Starker. This was a great experience, allowing me to travel overseas a number of times to many different countries. Highlights include participating in the World Choir Games in Xiamen, China in 2006 and in Graz, Austria in 2008 (where we were crowned Choir of the World in the Musica Sacra Category). We also traveled to New York in January 2008 to perform at Carnegie Hall; The Armed Man, a mass for peace by Karl Jenkins.

Singing is my passion; one of my greatest joys is to stand up in front of an audience and communicate with people through the words that I’m singing and the emotion that can be portrayed through the music.

Why did you choose this particular song?

I have a wide taste in music, but I particularly enjoy singing classical songs, early baroque pieces and Celtic folksongs. I have always loved singing a cappella – I think there is something special about presenting the voice in its simplicity; vulnerable and pure. Folk songs were passed down from generation to generation, sung in the kitchen or at the fire, accompanied by whichever instrument was available and often simply unaccompanied. I love the haunting melody of this song and the sad story it tells.

Christy-Lyn was also kind enough to share with us her comments about being able to download sheet music from Musicnotes.com. “I have been downloading sheet music from Musicnotes.com for quite a long time now, and I always appreciate being able to find exactly what I’m looking for, and receiving it instantly – when I’m inspired to sing a particular song, I get quite involved and impatient, and it’s great to know that I can rely on Musicnotes for quality music without delay or complication.”

Please take a moment to watch May’s winning video. Musicnotes.com congratulations Christy-Lyn on her performance, and wishes her the best of luck with her music-filled future. Good luck, Christy-Lyn!

Sheet Music Portfolios on Sale at 20% Off!

To protect your digital sheet music, we offer these sheet music portfolios designed to help you organize and play your favorite songs. What makes our portfolio so special? Not only can you personalize these portfolios, we’ve tested them to ensure that they’ll lay flat on your piano or music stand so you’ll be able to keep your fingers on your keyboard.

Comes with 12 clear inserts, but you can also order our portfolio refills or put in your own inserts to expand your storage capacity. Our Musicnotes.com sheet music portfolios may hold between 25 to 35 inserts; each insert can hold two sheets for approximately 50 to 70 sheets of music.

Our Musicnotes.com digital sheet music portfolio is normally $7.95, but is now on sale for $6.36 through the end of June! Order your digital sheet music portfolio today!

Grab a Guitar Guru Headset at 20% Off

Last month, we offered a special sale on every Guitar Guru Session we had in our inventory. For our June deals, we’re offering reduced shipping and 20% off our Guitar Guru headsets for the PC. Our Guitar Guru headset will allow you to work with our voice command feature available for the PC and keep your hands on your guitar!

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Submit your June Entry for our YouPerform Contest!

Remember, voting for our May YouPerform Contest will end in just a few days and one lucky winner will get chosen. Hope you’re practicing one of our free sheet music downloads or any of our other Musicnotes Editions for our contest.

Prize is $100 gift certificate to Musicnotes.com, so be sure to join this month’s contest group on YouTube! and read our Musicnotes.com YouPerform contest rules!

June Coupon for 15% Off your Next Digital Order!

Last but not least, celebrate the beginning of summer with this great discount! Take 15% off your next digital order — including our Guitar Guru Sessions — through midnight on June 30th. Just insert coupon code MNSUN when you check out to take advantage of this limited time offer! Limit one coupon per customer.

Take advantage of these great deals while you can, because they’re not going to be around forever. Keep your eyes on the summer sky and don’t forget to practice, practice, practice!

For the first time, one of our contestants decided to submit a creative video, where she did not record herself as a performer. We contacted our contestant, asking her why she chose to submit her entry this way. She said, “I do not show myself singing because I wanted to put the emphasis on the words of this beautiful song -- which is really like a prayer for our country. I never knew more than the first stanza of this song and when I sat down to work on the piece I was amazed at the beauty and idealism of the lyrics.” You can read the full description if you click back to YouTube! from the video for “America the Beautiful.”

Our second contestant in this round of voting is a singer who performed ‘Tis the Last Rose of Summer a cappella.

We hope you take the time to watch these videos and vote for May’s Musicnotes.com YouPeform Contest winner! Are you inspired? Don’t forget to submit your entry for June’s contest, too!

Narelle and Elaine’s musical journey began at a housewarming party where Narelle sang the song “Welcome to my World.” When speaking with Elaine after her performance, Narelle discovered that not only was Elaine a musician as well, but an active volunteer who dedicated her piano and accordion skills to perform music at local retirement homes and care facilities for the elderly.

Excited by the idea, Narelle offered to sing and perform with Elaine, who responded very warmly to the idea. Not long afterward, the duet began rehearsing and structured four or five musical programs over the course of the following year that were comprised of 30 or 40 songs per program. In Elaine’s experiences, she had learned that senior citizens are particularly partial to songs from the World War eras and had been playing most of the songs by ear prior to her work with Narelle. Unfamiliar with music from the era, Narelle felt she had a huge amount of learning to do, especially since there wasn’t a lot of sheet music on hand for those songs.

When Elaine didn’t have the necessary sheet music for a particular song, Narelle found herself struggling to learn the songs by ear. To find the sheet music, Narelle turned to Musicnotes.com where she usually found what she needed. Many of the songs on Musicnotes.com are arranged with a vocal line and corresponding accompaniment, so both musicians ended up benefiting from Narelle’s sheet music downloads. Narelle also found that she was surprised that a number of highly-popular short songs like “Daisy Bell” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” turned out to be the choruses of ballads with two or three verses.

While the journey for Narelle and Elaine hasn’t been easy, it’s been a rewarding one that has led them to their award-winning YouPerform contest entry of “(I’ll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time.”

“Thank you, Musicnotes, for the monthly free sheet music and the opportunity to hone our craft through the YouPerform contest, and thank you to previous winners who advised to ‘make a piece your own’ and ‘find something to make it special’,” wrote Narelle and Elaine. Both performers also added their advice for contest entrants:

Narelle mentioned to us that other musicians should “be true to the sort of music you want to do and don’t let yourself be swayed by what others say is popular. Be courageous — stick with what you do best.”

Elaine’s advice is this: “If you’re given an opportunity, HAVE A GO, even if you think it’s beyond you. Very often you’ll find that with practice it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.” — April 2009 YouPerform Contest Winners

Musicnotes.com would like to extend its best wishes to Narelle and Elaine on their musical future. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about your April YouPerform contest winners, and that you’re inspired to sing or play an eligible song for this month’s YouPerform contest. Until next time, we invite you to watch the winning performance below.

We’ve taken off $1.00 on every Guitar Guru Session in our catalog, offering you the chance to learn your favorite songs! Choose from blues Sessions like The Thrill is Gone or classic rock Sessions like Barracuda.

Here are a few other Guitar Guru Session favorites that you’ve enjoyed:

No coupon code is required for you to enjoy this limited time offer, which is good through the entire month of May.

Want more Guru? Each week we’ll be getting behind-the-music to feature some of your favorite artists and performers that define what a “rock-n-roll” guru is all about. For more about how this software can help you learn your favorite song, visit Guitar Guru Sessions online or download your free Guitar Guru Session on our free sheet music page and give Guru a try!

Download Old McDonald Had a Farm for Free!

Did you know that “Old McDonald Had a Farm” has a song history spanning over two hundred years? Some music scholars speculate that the song’s history may be traced to an early 18th century opera called “The Kingdom of the Birds,” but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that “Old McDonald” evolved to the song as we know it today. Initially published in 1917, this beloved nursery rhyme has been translated into several languages and has been recorded by dozens of performers around the world.

Download free sheet music for Old McDonald Had a Farm through the end of May. Don’t forget, this song is eligible for your entry into our Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest for May 2009. Just join our May 2009 contest group on YouTube! and submit your performance for a chance to win!

Vote Now for Your April 2009 Contest Winner!

Speaking of contests, will you help us decide your favorite YouPerform contest winner for April? We have three entries this month, and we’d love to get your vote. Hope you’re considering entering next month’s contest, we’d love to hear you sing or play!

Don’t forget to check out our Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest rules page to find out how you can submit your video for May!

All three of our winners played variations of the song Bunessan which is also referred to as Morning Has Broken. We had the chance to catch up with our winners, and we’d like to shine the spotlight on them as they talk about their experiences in music and their contest entry.

First Place Winner

Your first place winner in the contest was a talented musician named Rachel, who played the song as a “duet” with her performance of both the Irish whistle and the piano. Rachel taught herself how to play the piano and read music when she was six. Although she’s had formal piano training, Rachel taught herself how to play the Irish whistle about a year and a half ago. She’s currently learning how to play violin.

Excited to win, Rachel also talked a little bit about why she chose to play the arrangement the way she did. When we asked her why she chose the Irish whistle and the piano for her performance, she responded with:

“I decided to arrange Bunessan for Irish whistle and piano because I really like both instruments. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I did both. I also really like how the Irish whistle sounds with the piano. I’ve done the same thing with two other songs that my brother composed, except I recorded two Irish whistle tracks instead of one. We have a website with our music on it here: http://lambsundries.com/music.html”

In Second Place

Playing for ten years, Renee took second place in our YouPerform contest. Many of you had enjoyed Renee’s piano performance of Bunessan, and from what we learned Renee has a bright future ahead of her. Renee loves music so much she’d like to go into the performing arts some day. When we asked her what she enjoyed the most about playing piano, she said: “I love to just start playing and forget about everything else for a while. I love just “being in the music” and feeling the beautiful harmonies.”

Renee also had some great advice for future Musicnotes.com YouPerform contestants:

I would just say to make it your own. It doesn’t have to be the exact rhythm or even the absolute perfect notes. Just play it now you feel it.

Just look at the first place winner. She completely made it her own and it was beautiful. Most of all have fun doing it! — RENEE, Second Place Winner

And in Third Place…

We take a trip around the world to the Philippines to bring you your third place winner. Wilma has been playing piano since she was eight years old, but eventually life got in the way of her music performance. Picking it up again, Wilma estimates she’s been playing for about twenty years. When we asked her how music is a part of her life, she mentioned that she’s a big movie buff and enjoys playing songs from movies. As Wilma put it, “Music is what makes life beautiful.”

We also asked her if she had any advice for people learning how to play piano. Wilma revealed that:

My advice is that you need to put a lot of effort in practicing, because that’s the way all piano players improve our playing skills. Also, it pays to learn how to read notes and not just play by ear. Both learning how to read sheet music and mastering how to play by ear are two great skills to learn in order to become an advanced keyboard player. --WILMA, Third Place Winner

Wilma also had some great advice to share regarding our contest. She said, “Don’t forget to put a personal touch into your playing to set your video apart from other entries who may be playing the same song.”

Watch the Winning Entries!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this first-hand look into our music contestants as they describe their musical background and their thoughts on our contest. We encourage you to get inspired by their wining entries and can’t wait to watch your video entry for next month’s contest. For your enjoyment, watch the winning videos below.

In this week’s wrap-up, we talk about how talent shows are inspiring musicians everywhere to sing or play their instrument and provide you with some sheet music suggestions. We also reveal the winner of our own “talent” show, the Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest for March 2009.

Britain’s Got Talent! Do you?

As we mentioned earlier this week in our press release entitled Susan Boyle Phenomenon Resonates in Sheet Music, “Britain’s Got Talent” singing sensation Susan Boyle has had a definite impact on sheet music. You’ve been so inspired by Susan Boyle’s performance of I Dreamed a Dream, that this single song from Les Miserables sheet music is one of your top downloads on Musicnotes.com.

That’s not the only performer that you’ve enjoyed, though. Competing for a chance to perform in front of the Queen, this past week Shaheen Jafargholi started singing the song Valerie by Amy Winehouse and Simon Cowell stopped him after the first few bars. Switching to the song Who’s Lovin’ You by the Jackson Five, this twelve-year old received a standing ovation. (Watch the video of Shaheen singing.) Another sensation was a music teacher playing an alto saxophone version of the song Somewhere from West Side Story named Julian Smith.

Looks like this talent show is inspiring more than just singers to offer their music to the world. How about you? What do you play?

Talent Show American Idol Continues to Impress You

Have you been following American Idol? This week was a big heart-breaker for Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds as they were eliminated from the show. Many of the songs sung by Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and all your favorite singers have inspired you to play the songs they’ve performed. Featured songs from our selection of American Idol sheet music for Season Eight include:

• Hot Stuff by Donna Summer
• Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard
• September by Earth, Wind and Fire
• She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer
• Stayin’ Alive by Bee Gees
• Mad World by Gary Jules
• Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry
• I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt
• Stand By Me by Ben E. King
• All She Wants to Do Is Dance by The Eagles
• True Colors by Cyndi Lauper
• What’s Love Got to Do With It by Tina Turner
• Part-Time Lover by Stevie Wonder

Whether you buy sheet music from us or not, we hope you pick up your favorite instrument or microphone and get inspired to play!

March 2009 YouPerform Contest Winners!

It seems like only yesterday we asked you to vote on the twelve entries to March’s Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest. We have contacted the first place, second place and third place winners today, and have invited them to share with us a few words about their musical background and performance. We’ll offer you an update next week when we’re able to sit down with our lucky contestants.

We’d like to announce that your favorite performance is of the girl who played the piano and the hornpipe. Choosing the song “Bunessan,” here is the video of the March 2009 YouPerform Contest Winner for Musicnotes.com. Who placed second and third? Find out early next week when we offer you an inside look at our own musical contestants who are definitely talented!

The contest deadline for April is rapidly approaching and we’re really excited to see who’s going to enter. We hope you’re considering adding your contest entry, because if we receive a minimum of ten entries — we’ll give more away! Just yesterday we posted that:

Effective for March’s contest and any month going forward, we will award first, second and third place prizes provided we have a minimum of ten entries. For first place the YouPerform contest winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $100, second place will receive a $50 certificate, and third place will receive a certificate for $25.

What are you waiting for? We hope you’re so inspired, you’re ready to show the world what musical talent you’re hiding!

Effective for March’s contest and any month going forward, we will award first, second and third place prizes provided we have a minimum of ten entries. For first place the YouPerform contest winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $100, second place will receive a $50 certificate, and third place will receive a certificate for $25.

We will be contacting the winners of March’s contest today and we hope to provide you with a feature on these lucky winners soon. Thank you so much for helping us get our contest off the ground. We are really excited to see what April’s contest will hold! The more entries we receive, the more enhancements we’ll make to ensure that the contest is fun for everyone!

For more about our YouPerform contest, visit our Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest page. Are you interested in entering your performance? Visit our April Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest on YouTube! to enter your video for this month!

This month, contestants performed their versions of Bunessan, Danny Boy and Hail to the Chief, which are Musicnotes Editions of sheet music from Musicnotes.com. For more ideas on sheet music to play for our YouPerform contest, take a look at these five classical sheet music contest selections.

Good luck to all of our entrants for March’s contest! We hope you’ll take the time to submit your entry as a contestant for April by joining our Musicnotes.com April 2009 YouPerform contest group on YouTube! Don’t forget to follow up with musiclovers AT musicnotes DOT com with an email, too!

Vote for March’s Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest Winner!

We invite you to check out our Easter sheet music selection, and are happy to announce that we have more new songs on the way!

If you can’t find the song you’re looking for on that page, feel free to search for it on Musicnotes.com. We add hundreds of new songs each week, so don’t be afraid to check back with us for all your sheet music needs!

Guitar Guru Coupon in Honor of our New Store!

In honor of our brand new Guitar Guru Sessions store page, we’re offering all you guitar lovers out there an exclusive two-week coupon. We’ve already given away free gift certificates through our @guitar_guru Twitter account. We’re so excited by all the great feedback we’ve received that we want to share the love with you! Here are the Guitar Guru coupon details:

Use coupon code GGUSAVE5 to save $5 on your next Guitar Guru purchase of $20 or more. Coupon expires Saturday, April 11th at midnight. One coupon per person.

Don’t forget, every month we give away a free Guitar Guru session on our free sheet music page! If you’re looking for some Guitar Guru session ideas, visit your list of favorites from previous years. We recommend browsing through your Top Guitar Guru Sessions from 2008 or even your Top Guitar Guru Sessions from 2007.

Hope you take advantage of this great coupon, and stay tuned for more updates about Guitar Guru!

Here’s our February YouPerform Contest Winner!

The voting ended and you declared Jon the winner of our Musicnotes.com YouPerform contest. We asked Jon a few questions that we’d like to share with you now. After you read his answers, be sure to watch his award-winning video! Jon performed Sonata in C Minor “Pathétique” II. Adagio Cantabile by Beethoven.

Also, we were able to get a hold of our January YouPerform contestant, and because he was the only entrant in our contest, he won! Here’s a link to our January Musicnotes.com YouPerform contest on YouTube!.

MUSICNOTES: How long have you been playing piano?

JON, Contest Winner: Eight years

MUSICNOTES:: Of all the Musicnotes Editions we offer, why did you pick this song?

JON, Contest Winner: I picked this song because of its simplistic sound but still
beautiful effect.

MUSICNOTES: If you had any advice for future contestants, what would it be?

JON, Contest Winner: Play something that you love and are motivated to master, something that is a joy for you to play.

MUSICNOTES: What are your plans for your musical future?

JON, Contest Winner: Music will continue to be a hobby and release in my future, but not
a career.

MUSICNOTES: Is Beethoven your favorite classical composer?

JON, Contest Winner: Alongside Chopin and Debussy, Beethoven ranks among my favorite
classical composers.

Don’t forget, next week we’ll open up new voting for the March Musicnotes.com YouPerform Contest, and based on the entries we received we will definitely need your help! As always, if you have any questions about the contest feel free to comment on the blog or shoot us an email to musiclovers AT musicnotes DOT com.

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