Oprah Joins Hollywood’s Elite In The Fight For More Black Films

By JAKE COYLE 11/06/13 10:29 AM ET EST

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey has heard this story before.

A wave of high-profile films about black people receives accolades. A heart-warming trend of greater on-screen equality is declared. Hollywood basks in its multiculturalism — and then returns to business as usual.

From the slavery odyssey “12 Years a Slave” to the day-in-a-life drama “Fruitvale Station,” this fall has been a banner season for films of racial struggle told without white protagonists and largely by black directors. As one of the stars of the Civil Rights history “Lee Daniels‘ The Butler,” Winfrey is a proud player in a rare moment for African-Americans at the movies. But she and many others have tired of celebrating occasional aberrations of what should be Hollywood’s regular output.

“We’ve been through this before,” says Winfrey. “I don’t want it to be, ‘Oh, gee, we had the 10 films and now it’s another five years before you see another one.'”  2013 is a historical high-point for black-themed films, a culmination of Obama-era cinema. But the filmmakers and actors who made this confluence happen are resolutely against being resigned to a mere trend story, soon to be followed by another lull in diversity.

Read on Oprah Joins Hollywood Elite-More Black Films

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Plus Size Model Graces Elle’s Cover-Welcome Back Tara!

@HuffPostStyle

Welcome back to Elle, Tara Lynn!

The plus-size model graces the November cover of the glossy’s Spanish edition, reminding us it’s been too long since we’ve seen her there.

Tara is no stranger to magazine covers… across international waters, that is. While the H&M “Big Is Beautiful” swimsuit model has graced Elle France and Vogue Italia covers in the past, we have yet to see the Seattle-born beauty land a front page on a major American fashion magazine.

Watch the behind-the-scenes video of the shoot above and check out the final product below. Note that Elle Spain dubs her a “Mujer Real” — a real woman, indeed. Here’s hoping we see more covers in Tara’s future!

article by Huff Post Style

7 Ways to Get an Artist to Cut Your Song | MusicWorld® | BMI.com

Cliff Goldmacher states:

Writing for yourself is where it starts, but keep the artist in mind throughout your process

When you’re starting out as a songwriter, a common scenario is that something in your life moves you to the point where you’re inspired to write about it, and thus, your song is born. This may still be the case – and on some level, I hope so – but if you’re hoping that someone other than you will record your song, here are some essential strategies to keep in mind.

1. Make your song memorable and easy to learn.
There are several ways to create a memorable song. First and foremost, is there something about it that sticks in the listener’s mind and sets it apart? That’s a great place to start. Almost as important, though, is whether the song is easy to learn. If it is, then lots of things can happen. Not only can music fans pick up on it and sing along, but an artist is much more likely to connect with it and learn it as well. Lyrically, making sure your rhyme scheme is consistent in the verses and that your choruses are simple and the same from chorus to chorus is a great start. Regarding your melody, while it should be unique and memorable, it also helps to keep away from something so complicated that it’s tough to learn. Remember, in order for an artist to record your song, they have to learn it. The easier you can make that job for them, the better.  Read more on ….

7 Ways to Get an Artist to Cut Your Song | MusicWorld® | BMI.com.

RIAA Revamps Gold & Platinum Certifications: 100 On Demand Plays = 1 Sale – hypebot

The RIAA today made a rare change to the formula used to certify Gold and Platinum awards to include on-demand music and video streams. Services that will now count towards certification include Spotify, Rhapsody, MOG, Muve, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker, Xbox Music, VEVO, MTV.com, YouTube and Yahoo! Music.

RIAA Revamps Gold & Platinum Certifications: 100 On Demand Plays = 1 Sale – hypebot.