This is a nifty tip I learned from my colleague, RCM examiner Colleen Athparia: If you keep coming to a dead halt at the barline, get rid of the barlines!
White-Out on Music? Why Not?
Getting the Hang of Affiliate Programs
My post-blog migration clean-up is still ongoing. It's amazing how many dead links I've been discovering or missing video links. Updating every single blog post I've made since 2005 is a HUGE undertaking. However, in addition to it being a fun trip down memory lane, it has been a great opportunity to explore affiliate marketing.
As I mentioned in an earlier in Sheet Music Plus and Passive Income Streams, I've waded into the pool of affiliate marketing. Simply put, whenever I review or recommend a product, as an affiliate or associate, I get my own personal URL to that product. I don't believe in endorsing products I'm not keen on, so I will share with you materials that either my students, fellow teachers and I have found useful. Or in the case of album reviews, my aim is to introduce you to music you may not be familiar with and to promote local musicians.
Hopefully, you find them useful, or at least intriguing. If you do, then click on the link and then order away. Yes, affiliate marketers get a small commission for each completed sale. However, that all adds up in the long run.
One thing I have noticed as I clean up and update my blog posts is that there's an open field of opportunity. Each time I share a great performance with my students and readers or each time I reflect upon interesting pieces, I can share with you a link to make it easier for you to hunt down the music. It's a win-win situation.
How has it been working? Well, as with any passive income stream, it takes time to build and I've only been at it for a couple of weeks. However, I'm pleased to report that at least two people have purchased music I recommended just this week via sheetmusicplus.com .
I leave you with a funny blog post that I updated this morning, called "Angry Piano Music". I had a good chuckle remembering my female students who came in a string, asking specifically for "angry music" to play. It was a huge stress reliever for them!
Music Practicing 101 - Alternating Hand/Bar Drill
An Introduction to Fake Books
Looking for the Perfect Messenger Bag - Otaku Style
Last weekend, I had to retire my Fullmetal Alchemist messenger bag. The plastic shoulder strap adjuster thingie broke enough to poke me. いったい！ This is my messenger bag:
So I've started to look for the perfect anime messenger bag. So many choices. My criteria is as follows:
ample pockets
design: cool enough that otaku would say "Sugoi", safe enough for my students to see and grown up enough that other adults wouldn't say, "Aren't you a little old for this?"
sturdy design
from a show I like
decent price
decent shipping
I could simply replace my FMA bag with the FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Flamel Cross Messenger Bag:
It's not as nice as my retired one though. This Soul Eater: Meisters Anime Messenger Bag is a serious contender. It has the entire gang: Maka & Soul, Death the Kid with Liz & Patty and let's not forget Black Star & Tsubaki:
Oh yay - there's also the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: SOS Anime Messenger Bag:
However, the Code Geass: Lelouch Geass Symbol Anime Messenger Bag is pretty cool - and it doesn't look childish:
Choices. Choices. I've only just begun. I'd like to see if there are messenger bag designs for some of the more current anime, such as Hyouka, Accel World, and Sword Art Online. One that's for the ladies. Lyfa and Asuna are cool characters, but I'd much prefer to have a bag with Kirito on it - or the main cast.
I'll have to check out my other main places for otaku gear: Right Stuf, CD Japan andJList. I've been meaning to check out AmiAmi too. See what I mean about so many choices?