Brian McKnight's New Music Video + Oprah Appearance!

Brian McKnight just released a music video for his soulful new single, "The Christmas Song".

Check out the smooth new music video right here!

Also, on Wednesday November 26th, music from Brian McKnight's newest holiday album, I'll Be Home For Christmas, will be featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show as part of the "Fabulous Holidays on a Budget" segment. His track, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", will be played during the show accompanied by exclusive video footage. Also, the song will be available to download for free on Oprah.com for 48 hours after the air-date!

Groundbreaking Online Campaign!

Fifty Berklee College of Music students enrolled in a marketing course have launched a grassroots campaign to help land two of their teachers, vocalist Donna McElroy and pianist Jetro da Silva, a televised performance of "America the Beautiful" at the Presidential Inauguration this January.

In support of the application filed with the Armed Services Inaugural Committee, students used YouTube.com to provide worldwide access to a video of McElroy and da Silva giving a stirring rendition of the piece at the 2004 inauguration of Berklee president Roger Brown.

The students’ strategy is to increase the probability of the link reaching the President-elect or his team by using the same tools and tactics used by Obama to win the election. Last week the students began rolling out email, social networks, blogs, and word-of-mouth efforts as means of sharing the video with the world and in hope of getting it all the way to the President-elect.


ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Donna McElroy is a professor of voice at Berklee, where she has taught since 1995. She is a Grammy nominee, a Dove Award-winner, and an arranger/vocalist on gold and platinum releases by Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, and BeBe and CeCe Winans. Television appearances include Tonight Show, and the Grammy Awards. Visit: http://www.donnamcelroy.net

Jetro da Silva is a professor of ensemble at Berklee, as well as the former assistant chair of the piano department, and an alumnus of the college. He has performed with Whitney Houston, George Duke, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Earth, Wind & Fire, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, Luther Vandross, and many others. A native of Brazil, he is a brand new US citizen who cast his first vote in this election. Visit: http://www.jetrodasilva.com

ABOUT BERKLEE

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today—and tomorrow.

Beyoncé Knowles - Style and image - Songwriting and producing

Beyoncé Knowles - Since Destiny's Child, she has been artistically involved in her career. Beyonce co-wrote most of the songs recorded by the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, she has stated that having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men and women relate to one another. Some of Knowles' songs are autobiographical, which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends'.

Beyonce has co-produced most of the records in which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. Although she does not formulate beats and melodies herself, Beyonce typically comes up with ideas during production, sharing them with producers.

Beyonce was recognized as a song-writer during the run of Destiny's Child in the 1990s and early to mid-2000s. Knowles won the Songwriter of the Year award at the 2001 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards,becoming the first African-American female and second overall female songwriter of all time to accomplish that feat. She received three song-writing credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It", the only woman to achieve since Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. In terms of credits, Beyonce is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine number-one singles.

Despite Beyonce' songwriter credits since Destiny's Child, her involvement was a subject of media scrutiny. An issue of Vanity Fair magazine, which happened to feature Knowles on its cover, fueled issues regarding her song-writing credits. In the magazine, she says, "I had written ... seven, eight number one songs with Destiny's Child, in a row." Roger Friedman of FOX News questioned the veracity of her statement. One argument of Friedman involved the credit given to Knowles on her hit "Crazy in Love". He pointed out that the song was written by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites and was only sampled by Rich Harrison, who produced the track. In a 2004 MTV news report, it was stated, "... Harrison stepped up and wrote the verses and the hook, leaving the bridge for Beyoncé." Friedman also cited songs from Destiny's Child and her solo recordings in his arguments. Another issue spread after Knowles' name was discredited for a nomination given to "Listen" at the 2007 Academy Awards. The Academy's ruling explained that only three major contributors should be recognized during the awards process, and Knowles was the least among the four.

When the song, "If I Were a Boy" initially premiered, Fox News ran a story stating that Toby Gad stole the song from unknown artist, BC Jean after a failed agreement. The articles continues to state that Jean was unaware that Knowles recorded the track. Neither Jean nor Gab have released statements concerning this matter.

Beyonce Knowles MP3 Downloads