Musical trends are often directly antithetical to wider societys. In the late 60s, counterculture boomed against rigid political structures, so too did punk in the 70s. Grunge was a reaction to the grandiose absurdity of glam and late 80s pop, and the explosion of indie music in the 90s rejected the increasingly homogenous chokehold that a few major players had over the entertainment industry.

In contemporary society were more switched on than ever; devices in our pockets link us not only to every other person in the world, but every single piece of recorded media. The world is loud, which is precisely why more and more people are choosing to switch off by listening to environmental, minimal, or ambient music.

Image: Cover Art of Strands by Steve Hauschildt

To say a overstimulating world equals a need for relaxing pleasures is a simplification; there are more factors at play when it comes to ones taste in art. To find out exactly what has made ambient music so attractive to modern listeners, we enlisted the opinions of a few key artists in the space.

First I reached out to Alex Albrecht, half of electronic music group Albrecht LaBrooy and the head of Analogue Attic Recordings one of the few Australian labels putting out ambient music. He believed that contemporary listening habits were in line not only with increased connectivity, but a broader acknowledgement of mental well-being.

I think we are certainly more aware of personal wellness and overstimulation these days and Im sure some people actively listen to ambient music with that in mind. Id like to think so anyway! Theres also a big movement surrounding music to fall asleep to, which is something we have explored a bit recently.

The fact that we have access to more music than every before right at our fingertips means its easier for people to find something that caters to their immediate mindset.

Self-care moments are certainly on the rise, but Alex touches on another great point; the popularity of long-form audio media such as podcasts, compilation channels, or live streams. Tens of thousands of Youtube users are tuned into live channels featuring relaxing, downtempo, or ambient music streams as we speak. Theres even an upload of Radioheads Pyramid Songstretched out to 38 minutes which has clocked 1.4 million views.

Meanwhile in podcast world, this year Spotify allocated between $400 and $500 millionto invest in original podcasts, and the amount of Australians downloading podcasts each month has risen from just under one million in 2014 to 1.6 million in 2018. True, this doesnt speak to the popularity of ambient music, but the two mediums do serve a similar purpose for many.

I also wanted to ask Alex, being one of the few bastions of the ambient genre in Australia, if he thought our locale had any effect on the music his label puts out.

A laidback attitude can manifest from the time, space, and access to nature we have in Australia, and if you let it, it can come through in the music.

Nature certainly plays a large part in what contemporary ambient music has become; the latest Albrecht LaBrooy album being an example. Healesville is decorated by sample of bird trills, tractor noises, and distant voices, the perfect remedy for anyone attempting a mind-escape from the city noise.

It calls to mind a genre closely allied to new age and ambient called environmental music, which also bloomed in the 70s with a sound more rooted in natural samples as well as meditative and spiritual practices. Outside of contemporary producers calling back to these gentler sonics, a new market has also allowed for historical releases such as the wonderful Kanky Ongaku to become one of 2019s most talked about reissues.

The liner notes of Brian Enos albumAmbient 1: Music For Airports(many name this as the moment the term ambient was coined, but thats up for debate) decreed that ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular, it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.

In other words, its background music. Technically any music can be background music if you listen to it in the background but in ambient musics case, often its the artists intent that you withhold your full attention. More than that, in speaking to a number of composers it has become clear that not only is it therapeutic for listeners, but for those who make it as well.

On his motivations to make this kind of music, Alex Albrecht shared:

The conduciveness to improvisation and musical conversation, as well as the gentle nature, makes it a therapeutic way to make music.

For Steve Hauschildt, a fantastic electronic producer based out of Chicago and signed to Ghostly International, the motivation to make this kind of music is more ephemeral.

Im not usually trying to implicitly adhere to the rules and expectations of a genre when Im in the studio, so if it evokes those qualities of ambient music its happening purely on a subliminal level.

However, I think theres something to be said about emphasising the practice of listening and this is intrinsic to ambient music in much more concrete ways than popular music for example. My motivation comes from an innate desire to express the ineffable via sound.

Hauschildts recordings arent purely ambient; releases such as 2013s S/H orWhere All Is Fled contain moments of thumping percussion or attention-demanding synth swells. His softer compositions are part of an output which covers a wider sonic scope and interestingly, he saw ambients recent popularity differently to Albrecht.

There is some degree of correlation between overstimulation and listening to very slow and repetitive music. Its difficult for me or anyone to quantify popularity with regards to the idea of genre within music as its a relative idea very much reliant on context. No ambient artist will ever reach the same sort of appeal or commercial success as Billie Eilish for obvious reasons. There are levels of popularity and its important to delineate between major and independent labels even though the lines have been blurred.

Fundamentally, the construct of popularity is counter-intuitive to music which seeks to be unobtrusive. But it doesnt mean that success or relative popularity doesnt exist within that small niche that we happen to be aware of just on a different scale. We are definitely seeing a blowback against the fact that we are spending a lot of time on our phones and computers so Im sure some of this seeps into the musical domain.

Where these two musicians opinions synced back up was in terms of delivery of sound; how the absurdly easy way we consume music right now relates to the rise in popularity of certain listening experiences.

I dont think the purpose [of ambient music] has changed much since its inception. The change has more to do with how its delivered to and heard by the audience. Honestly I think that the distillation of ambient into background music or wallpaper music is quite functionally congruent with people putting on algorithmic playlists and not always thinking about what to play.

Outside of this, the increasing accessibility and affordability of recording equipment and electronic instruments over the last forty years has also greatly democratised the ability to make ambient music which has shifted and fractured it in mostly positive ways.

Music streaming has changed many things, one criticism it often faces being that listeners are identifying with artists less and less. Songs become meaningless stops on a 129-track playlist, and often the very names of the artists who create these beautiful, catchy, and often hugely popular songs go completely unremembered.

But isnt that the point of this so-called background music? To morph into a state unrecognised, but to still provide a listener with the pleasure or relaxing feeling theyre seeking? Invisibility brought on by the playlist effect really isnt that different from Brian Eno or Aphex Twin titling the songs on their ambient albums with simple numbers or gibberish.

What has become clear is that the purpose of ambient music never changed, just as Hauschildt says. Rather the need for it has increased.

If this truly is the age of information and overstimulation, its no surprise that more and more listeners are yearning for something quieter, something relaxing, or something that evokes the feeling of being amongst nature. It may never be popular to the mainstream world at large but to a growing niche of humans just searching for a moments quiet? Why not.

Go here to see the original:

Ambient music's place in the age of overstimulation - Happy Mag

Germanys winemaking scene is probably less well-known than its music scene, even though the history of winemaking in Germany spans two millennia. But just because its venerable doesnt mean it isnt hip. The present generation of German winemakers are reaching beyond the Rieslings for which theyre deservedly famous, and emphasizing a style thats youthful, contemporary, and embraces a wide array of brisk, aromatic white varieties and spicy, fruit-forward reds.

Wine and music share many common elements, beyond the obvious (they are each composed of a number of individual notes). In both, there are accords and harmonies, structure and tension, color and tone, theme and variation. For that matter, finding a new wine is a little like finding a new band. We like what we like, we have our baseline preferencesbut we crave novelty. That feeling you get when you find a song that unlocks a whole series of discoveries? Wine does that too. And it shares musics uncanny ability to provoke emotional responses, or to align itself with specific memories.

On which note (see what I did there), wed like to recommend some German wine and music pairings. As with all wine pairings, its really about what you happen to like, and there are no rules. But this can get you started.

1. Sekt Perfect with: Pop Recommended listening: Aurora, Christine and the Queens, Janelle Mone

Sekt is not a varietal but a broad umbrella term for German sparkling wine-it can theoretically be made from any grape (just as pop music is a huge umbrella term). Common grape varieties used to make Sekt include the usual French subjects (the Pinot or Burgunder family) as well as native grapes like Silvaner and Riesling. When its done right, Sekt is bubblier than Colbie Caillat, and as versatile and goes-with-anything as Rihanna. Sekt has long been a staple in Germany, where theyll pop a bottle for everyday drinking and just about any occasionbeyond birthdays and celebrationsthe same way throwing on pop radio is a fail-safe way to liven up a gathering. Now wine lovers outside of Germany are taking notice, and Sekt is emerging as a significant player in the world of sophisticated bubbles (look for the term Winzersekt on the label if you want the best stuffand of course you want the best stuff).

2. Pinot Noir Perfect with: Jazz Recommended listening: Kamasi Washington, Sasha Berliner, Julius Rodriguez

One word: Obbligato. The thing without which the song is no longer the song. Essential in jazz, where repertory is the skeleton on which endless skin and flesh variants can be placed. And essential in Sptburgunder, AKA Pinot Noir, the grape with ten thousand faces. You might not think of Germany when you think of Pinot, but you should. Its a thinkers wine in many ways, but it also has the potential to be the life of the party. The grape is a wizard-grade shapeshifter and can always add another note to the riff. Think notes of cherry, wet leaves, nutmeg, plum, cedarwood, pencil shavings, black truffle, redcurrant, pepper, dark chocolate, gravel, blueberries and more. Difficult to cultivate yet perfectly poised when you get it right, this wine is all about tension. Wynton Marsalisfamously said in jazz, every moment is a crisis, and you bring all your skills to bear on that crisis. German Pinot Noir is grown and produced in a crazy diversity of altitudes, soils and climates, and this grape takes in all of that and plays it back like an old school jazz ensemble, combining seemingly irreconcilable parts and making it seem like they couldnt exist without each other.

3. Dry Riesling Perfect with: Electronica Recommended listening: Kraftwerk, Timo Maas, Ian Chang

German Riesling is something you can study and examine and experience for most of your life and never stop learning. The sine qua non of German wines has been in style for hundreds of years, and deservedly. Riesling has a wide variety of expressions that can be broadly grouped into Trocken or dry wines, Kabinett or off-dry wines and Sptlese or luscious, late-harvest wines, and even dessert-worthy wines, but modern German winemakers are offering more of the dry variety. Dry Riesling is an aromatic suckerpunch and your ideal companion for a variety of foods and some Kraftwerk, perhaps? Something venerable and classic but also forward-thinking? Honestly, a good dry Riesling will go with most things; its whole point is epic versatility. Common notes in this dry white lean toward perfumery, mixing citrus rind and peaches, beeswax and ginger. Classical and pretty, but with a slightly industrial edge and definitely electricits a study in tension. Just as Germany has been an epicenter of the world for electronica from when Kraftwerk first plugged in their synethesizers in the 1970s to the massive crowds at Parookaville this year, its been the proud home of this distinctive style.

4. Off-Dry and Sweet Riesling Perfect with: Hip Hop Recommended listening: Noname, Tierra Whack, Blackalicious

If you find a Riesling labeled Kabinett, Sptlese, or Auslese, youre looking at what probably has to be called The OG (Original German, obviously). People who arent familiar with Riesling often avoid it because they have an idea it will be sweet. In this case thats 100% true and by the way, it isnt a flaw. Sptlese Riesling has serious staying power (you can age it for years, even decades). Its complex and harmonious with a profoundly honeyed nose and characteristics that tend to demand dramatic descriptors (its acidity is keen or piercing or electric, its aromatics heady or seductive). Strong minerality and sometimes a savory salinity are also present. The power player of German wines is a viscous, molten-gold beverage with a big, big personality and impressive structure. Pair it with music thats equally about flaunting your riches, like Kanye Wests Run This Town: Im beasting off the Riseling You trippin when you aint sippin, have a refill.

5. Silvaner Perfect with: Folk Recommended listening: Im With Her, Haley Heynderickx, Justin Townes Earle

If youre looking for the wine equivalent of a Sufjan Stevenstrack, you might find it in Silvaner, an understated yet somehow extremely satisfying little will-o-the-wisp. It has a light, down-to-earth quality and a storied tradition. Silvaner and folk both value simplicity but will stay with you long after the final chord is struck or sip is taken. Its fresh and green and brisk, and it tends to invite comparisons that are not to fruits and flowers at all, but to cloudscapes and weather and Sunday mornings in spring. Crystalline, with a vein of intriguing bitterness at its core, an almost colorless Natures first green is gold kind of tone, Silvaner is a paean to the beauty of simplicity.

6. Mller-Thurgau Perfect with: R&B Recommended listening: Seratones, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis

A wine grape born of the crossing of Riesling and an obscure grape called Madeleine Royale, Mller-Thurgau is a super vigorous vine. When handled with care, though, lovely things can come from it. From the Riesling side, it brings a bouquet of lavish flowers and peaches, and it can be a shy, sometimes wispy wine. But when made well, its a fresh, flowery, softly aromatic white wine thats close to colorless, and behind that clarity and softness there can be a surprising complexityperfect for the neo-soul and R&B of pioneering crossover acts like Kali Uchis, who draw on the best of a storied tradition and make it feel completely new. Nowhere else does the physical and spiritual collide so wonderfully as R&B, making it the perfect music for Mller-Thurgau.

7. Lemberger Perfect with: Indie Rock Recommended listening: The National, Vampire Weekend, Courtney Barnett

The grape also known as Blaufrankisch is blue with a dusty bloom, and high-yielding (if it were a band it would be putting out an album every year). It thrives in warmer sites, and creates medium-bodied wines with a fairly high tannin level (German Lemberger is by and large less tannic than Austrian Blaufrankisch) and, often, a serious spicy kick. Black peppercorn, allspice, clove and cinnamon can all be expressed, along with black cherry, blackberry or boysenberry, and cocoa. Occasionally floral notes like wild violets will also jump out. Its dark, a little brooding, but essentially put together and harmony-forward, with an individualist streak and a certain melancholy sexiness. In short, it paves its own path like the best indie rockers, never content to rest on its laurels.

8. Pinot Gris Perfect with: 80s pop Recommended listening: The Bangles, a-ha, Modern English

The German iteration of Pinot Gris, called Grauburgunder, is surprisingly complex. They are often well-structured and finely balanced, edgy with citrus notes (lime, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine can all be present), tropical fruit (especially pineapple) and a delightful hit of something like fennel pollen. German Pinot Gris can also express spice notes that dont tend to come up in Italian or American Pinot Gris (sometimes its something a bit exotic and sharp, like saffron), and a trailing salinity on the finish. Its a refined character with just a little bit of a weird side, enough to make it a charming dinner companion. And like the best 80s pop with catchy choruses and polished production, its a classic that should never go awaythose first notes will always bring an instant, recognizable joy.

9. Pinot Blanc Perfect with: Country Recommended listening: The Highwomen, Kacey Musgraves, Yola

Pinot Blanc may taste familiar, but it more than makes up for that in versatilitythis is a wine that just seems to go with everything. The single-word description of this wine is round. It has decent acidity, but the impression isnt of acids-it has a gentleness in the mouth that can come as a welcome change of pace from Pinot Gris. It can have a somewhat subdued bouquet, but a deeply pleasant one, full of apple and pear notes. In Germany (where its called Weissburgunder) it is sometimes barrel-aged, which also adds some layers, including toast, cream or vanilla characteristics. Its a delicate wine in general, and an excellent pairing for any situation where you dont know what to pour, especially when the sun is shining and you can kick back. Its the country music of wines, making every setting more casual and relaxing, and you can always find one that suits your own tastes.

Theres so much to discover when it comes to both German wines and music, and theres plenty of time to expand your palate. Pour a glass, sit back and relax with some new favorite artists.

Here is the original post:

Nine German Wines Paired with the Perfect Music - Paste Magazine

MILLIE Bobby Brown has fought monsters in Netflix hit Stranger Things but will soon battle fiercer beasts pop stars.

I can reveal she will launch a music career in 2020, once she turns 16.

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She was in the 2016 video to Sigma song Find Me and is now in talks to join their label 3 Beat also home to Cheryl Tweedy.

A source said: Millie is brilliantly talented. She has millions of Stranger Things fans but also has a passion for singing.

"She already has at least seven songs she loves but isnt planning to release anything until after she turns 16 in February, partly as her schedule is crazy.

"They are deciding how to launch her maybe as vocalist on a dance tune, or releasing her own song. But singing is just natural for her.

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Millie stars as Eleven in sci-fi hit Stranger Things and is its break-out star, leading to roles in movie Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and the video for Drake track In My Feelings.

He is now a mentor, who Millie calls a great friend.

A No1 tune for a teen we are used to seeing with a bloody nose? Stranger Things have happened.

THE music industry was rocked yesterday as Atlantic Records chief Ben Cook stood down over allegations he had blacked up at a work fancy-dress party.

I revealed how it took the fury of Stormzy to force out the exec a full year after Atlantic first learned of the sorry episode.

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Now insiders tell me the rapper was far from alone in his outrage.

Rudimental were just as angry and members of the drum and bass outfit made it clear around the industry they felt further action was necessary.

A source tells me: There were a few artists who disapproved. Stormzy wasnt alone.

Rudimental share the view that this is simply unacceptable in this day and age. Its that growing mood music among artists and big industry players which prompted action.

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Cook, whose 12-year career at the label included signing Ed Sheeran and Stormzy, was allowed to stay in place until yesterday.

Atlantics owner Warner Music put out a typically fudged corporate line on the matter, suggesting the decision had been entirely its own and nothing to do with Stormzy.

But the rapper has done nothing to distance himself from Cooks ousting.

Warners confirmed the exit, while Cook apologised for his behaviour in a wordy statement. But its clear from Warners bid to deflect attention away from our report that bosses know they handled this badly.

bizbit

ELTON Johns favourite band The Hu have invited him to join them on their UK tour next year.

The Mongolian rock foursome have been a hit since Elt endorsed them on Beats1 radio.

Their first gig here will be in Brighton in February.

ROSE McGowan has ditched acting to move into music.

The star who was named Time magazines Person of the Year for speaking out about sexual assault and harassment in the #MeToo scandal is releasing an album in the spring called Planet 9, having worked with Daft Punk producer DJ Falcon.

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She said: Hopefully the music world wont be as treacherous as Hollywood. Ill still direct but I dont want to hide behind characters. Its ethereal, meditative music and some bangers to be released in Ibiza.

Rose also revealed she has taken up smoking to cope with stress.

She said: Its relaxing for me.

Shes been through a lot but its still a bad habit.

bizticker

KATHERINE Jenkins went full mermaid with her mosaic-like frock for the Lady Garden Gala at Claridges hotel in Londons Mayfair.

The Welsh soprano is known for belting out songs until shes blue in the face.

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And this time she wore a glittering dress to match.

Katherine was joined at the cancer charity bash by Donna Air, Joan Collins and Sarah Ferguson.

bizbit

SHAGGY has told fans It Wasnt Me after his Instagram was hacked by internet scammers.

The account had posted pleas to send him money online.

He said: I would like to make it clear that these are nothing more than an internet scam.

ALFIE Boes loyal following of mums could be in for a shock at his next concert.

The cheesy crooner is desperate to reinvent himself as a rock god in the style of Queen or Journey.

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But he is facing pushback from his label Decca Records, which wants him to stick to show tunes and jazz numbers from the 1930s.

In fact, just last month Alfie was forced to announce a new album with fellow Ooh, aint he lovely type Michael Ball, creatively titled Back Together, after their previous albums Together and Together Again.

A source said: Alfie really fancies himself as the bad boy of classical crossover and operatic pop.

He wants to express his wild side by turning his hand to rock music.

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Hes started sneaking songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses into his setlists.

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But the label are nervous his fanbase of women of a certain age will be turned off. It has caused some frustration behind the scenes.

If Alfie gets his way, that would be the most polite mosh pit in history.

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Read the original:

Stranger Things Millie Bobby Brown hopes to launch career as pop star once she turns 16 - The Sun

The 49ers, one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL, are aggressively pursuing multiple options at wide receiver, league sources said, viewing an upgrade at the position as the key to a potential deep playoff run.

San Francisco has been much improved on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally healthy and one of the more balanced teams in the NFL thus far. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan, who runs the offense and has a keen eye for receiving talent as a former receiver coach, and the front office have identified receiver as an area of specific attention ahead of the trade deadline, which looms after Week 8.

The 49ers have been an aggressive team on the trade market in recent years, landing Garoppolo with an in-season blockbuster. They were pursuing Khalil Mack a year ago, were in the mix for Odell Beckham as well, and landed Dee Ford in an offseason deal. Despite all of their early-season success, the offense has room for growth in the passing game, with few proven options beyond All Pro tight end George Kittle, who has more than twice as many receptions as anyone else on the roster.

The 49ers are among a bevvy of teams with interest in Bengals star A.J. Green, but it remains to be seen if the winless team relents and deals the pending free agent. Emmanuel Sanders was drawing interest as well, but the Broncos are back in the mix in the AFC West after a woeful 0-4 start. A reunion with receiver Mohamed Sanu, who Shanahan coached in Atlanta and is not being featured in the Falcons offense, is quite possible, league sources said. Atlanta is falling out of contention despite a bloated roster, and a coaching change looms. Taylor Gabriel (Bears), who put up career numbers with Shanahan in Atlanta, is not seeing much of the ball in Chicago. Former Dolphins first-round pick Devante Parker, who has yet to show much or stay healthy since being selected in the first round, would likely be a fallback option, sources said.

Rookie receiver Deebo Samuel is second on the 49ers with just 15 catches through five games; no wide receiver on the roster has even 200 yards receiving thus far or more than one touchdown. Garoppolo is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, and there is hope that youngster Dante Pettis can stay healthy and provide a boost, but the addition of one more legit pass-catching threat could be vital in the team being able to thrive against top defenses in December and January.

The rest is here:
NFL Trade Deadline: 49ers pursuing numerous options for receivers, are highly motivated to make a deal - CBS Sports

In our ever-changing digital world, new information spills out of devices by the second. This means that no matter which career students choose, there will always be more to learn and consider.

As researcher and professor emeritus of education at the University of Maryland, Dr. John T. Guthrie explains, the road to lifelong learning starts with proficient reading. Unfortunately, says Guthrie, students reading motivation is often "shockingly low."

After spending 45 years studying how to motivate and engage students, Guthrie has learned that the secret to developing successful readers lies in understanding the rightand wrongways to motivate them.

Guthrie spoke with EdSurge, sharing how classroom teachers can use intrinsic motivation, text choice, and real-life connections to encourage students to want to read. He also explains how adaptive literacy technology makes adopting these strategies easier for educators.

John T. Guthrie: Two significant barriers to motivation include students low self-efficacyor, confidence in their reading skillsand a lack of input in choosing what they read.

Students confidence levels are challenged when they are given reading material that is too hard for them to understand. If this situation repeats itself, they may cope by retreating and not reading. Teachers intentions might be goodthey want to help students get stronger by giving them challenging material. But, if material is too challenging, it's self-defeating for the teacher and discouraging for the student.

Another issue is when students don't have any input into what they read. Reading interest decreases when the diet is set entirely by the program, the school, the teacher, or the state that they live in.

The problem is: what are they thinking about? Not the books and the content. They're thinking about the ice cream party! The quality of their thinking about the reading material wont be good. Because their motivation is external and superficial, this type of reading wont help students become long-term readers. A lot of people think external motivationgiving students a rewardis going to get them interested in reading. If a teacher says, "If everybody reads well today, we'll have an ice cream party," students will work hard for the ice cream.

Educators should provide activities that encourage intrinsic motivation in students. These activities will create confidence in their skills, interest in the content, value in what they are reading, and belief in the importance of reading. This will also help them to be social in their reading, meaning they want to share and communicate what they've learned with other people.

Teachers can use confidence as a motivator by matching the texts to the students. If it's too hard, they can't learn from it and won't learn to enjoy the process. But if it's too easy, they'll be bored. If teachers can take the time to find texts students can read and help them stay in their zone, it helps build confidence.

Say your students are learning to draw a conclusion from a paragraph. They should be able to read the paragraph out loud almost at the speed at which they can speak. If you have a passage that is well-suited to them, then they can focus on learning the skill you're trying to teach instead of stumbling over some of the words.

It also helps when students see the value in a text. One way to do that is to show how it relates to their lives. For example, students might wonder what the value of knowing about environmental conservation and forests are when their interests lie elsewhere. Teachers can provide a learning experience with videos, picture books, and discussions about forests and their importance today and for future generations. This can be followed up with readings about threats to forests and ways students can aid environmental conservation. When you connect texts to what students know and care about, it creates value.

Another way to motivate students is by making the content useful to them in school on that particular day. Maybe students have to read and explain a text to each other. When a student does that successfully, he can say, It is valuable because it helped me tell my partner about this topic. Or, maybe it helps a student draw a map she needs to complete a project. Collaborating by working in pairs and small teams is also a technique that encourages the social aspect of reading, which is valuable motivation for reading comprehension.

Finding the time and resources to support these strategies can be hard. In a fifth-grade classroom, teachers could have students reading at a 10th-grade level, second-grade level, third-grade level, and so on. Finding material that works for all of them is a challenge. But tools like CommonLit give teachers a large bank of resources. If they need material on the historical westward expansion in the United States, for example, it's easy to find texts on the same topic for students. Students gain the same knowledge and skills, but do it at their own level.

Another challenge teachers face is knowing whether students have gained real, deep competency in the tasks they're working on. If you have 25 students, are they all able to understand this story and understand the character well? Teachers can estimate that. But they can't test every student all the time or track how much of the story they are reading.

But with a computer-based system, such as Reading Plus, educators can do those exact things. Essentially, it provides a tutor who's with the student for every task. And students can read at their own levels and work on their own specific skill sets until they're comfortable and competent. When students have this type of support, and a chance to read a high volume before moving to the next stage of complexity, that promotes deep learning.

Yes, research shows that self-confidence, interest in the material, and collaborative reading and writing are just as important in the digital world as they are in the print world. How frequently students work on reading and the intensity of their engagement are the biggest predictors of whether they learn. Its simple: the kids who read the most grow the fastest.

Original post:
The Secret to Developing Successful Readers Lies In How You Motivate Them - EdSurge

The American Athletic Conference has gone and done it now.

No, the league didnt reverse the replay reversal that never should have been reversed and award Joey Magnifico a catch. It didnt force Memphis and Temple to replay the final two minutes of Saturdays football game to figure out who actually would have won had the AACs replay official done his job correctly and realized indisputable evidence means a play is actually indisputable.

No, the AAC didnt fix that outrageous decision. It created another one.

Seven of its mens basketball coaches picked Houston, not Memphis and its No. 1 recruiting class, to win the AAC this year. Only four tabbed the Tigers as the conference favorites. The two teams were tied for first atop the AACs preseason poll.

Even though Memphis is ranked as high as No. 6 in the country in some preseason polls by national media. Even though Memphis is the only AAC team ranked in every single one of those national preseason polls.

Normally, you dont lose four starters and get picked first in the conference, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters Monday morning at AAC media day in Philadelphia.

He, apparently, was just as shocked as everyone here in Memphis.

But this slight might be just what the Tigers needed at just the right moment.

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They wanted all the smoke, and plenty was being sent their way of late.

Locally, nobody can imagine anything but a magical season. Elsewhere, ESPN and national college basketball reporters are flocking to town to talk to coach Penny Hardaway and share with the country how hes turned this program back into a title contender again so quickly. Hardaway told The Athletic he thought this team would win a national championship this year.

Whatever doubts Hardaway subsequently mentioned, like last week when he called Memphis the hunters instead of the hunted in the AAC, seemed like transparent attempts to motivate his team, to take the focus off the lofty expectations.

But not anymore.

Now, with one preseason poll, Hardaway has the motivating tool every coach desires. He can use this as fuel all year long.

He can tell his players nobody believes in them, and do it with a straight face. He can tell them nobody believes in him, because how else would you interpret Memphis receiving only four first-place votes given the talent disparity between the Tigers and the rest of the league this year.

"The hate for Penny is real," Stadium's Jeff Goodman tweeted in reaction to the poll.

Which, by the way, brings us to the most ridiculous part in all this.

James Wiseman is the only Memphis player listed on the preseason AAC first team. No Tigers player made the second team. And yet, South Florida, picked to finish fifth in the league, had three players listed. UConn, picked to finish sixth on its way to the Big East next season, had two players listed.

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It would be more forgivable if these picks were made by the media.

Maybe some of the reporters covering the league just dont know much about Precious Achiuwa or Boogie Ellis or Lester Quinones or Damion Baugh or D.J. Jeffries and the rest of this new-look Memphis roster. Perhaps all they heard about was the recruiting class being ranked No. 1, not who specifically made up that class.

But this preseason poll and the preseason all-conference teams are chosen by the American Athletic Conferences coaches.

They should know better.

They should know better than to give Hardaway the ammunition he needs to shove this right back in their faces.

Because heres another prediction: Thats exactly what Memphis basketball is going to do this season.

Want to stay informed on the latest Memphis basketball news? A Commercial Appeal subscription gets you unlimited access to the best inside information and updates on the Tigers, plus podcasts,newsletters and the ability to tap into sports news from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites.

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter:@mgiannotto.

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AAC coaches just gave Penny Hardaway, Memphis basketball exactly the motivation they needed - Commercial Appeal

In the days leading up to Canada's CONCACAF Nations League game with the U.S., Canadian coach John Herdman said his players didn't need him for motivation.

A 34-year-winless run against the Americans plus the need for valuable FIFA rankings points to earn a more direct route in World Cup qualifying would do the job just fine, he reasoned.

So did the 44-year-old Herdman, renowned for his ability to inspire, hold back?

"I think every minute of the day he has a motivational speech," said a smiling Lucas Cavallini, who scored the insurance stoppage-time goal in Canada's 2-0 win Tuesday at BMO Field.

"That's why we're here. That's why we're doing important things."

"Eversince John took over, he's been focused on changing the identity of Canadian soccer," added defender Kamal Miller. "And step by step, every camp, we've just been getting better and better. We feel like we're reaching new heights."

Said teenage forward Jonathan David: "This guy knows what he's doing ... because he has a tactic every game."

WATCH | Davies nets winner as Canada tops U.S. in Nations League:

While there is far more work to be done by the 75th-ranked Canadian men, it can be argued that Herdman has changed the face of soccer in Canada since being named women's coach eight years ago.

"He brought new football to Canada ... Thank you for bringing the spirit, the belief, the energy to these guys," veteran goalkeeper Milan Borjan said as he sat next to Herdman in the post-match news conference.

Herdman inherited a women's team that was in a dark place after finishing last under Italy's Carolina Morace at a disastrous 2011 World Cup in Germany. Herdman helped rebuild the women's talent pipeline, reminding the women why they played soccer and for whom they did it and led them to back-to-back Olympic bronze medals and fourth place in the FIFA rankings.

In January 2018, he switched its focus to the Canadian men another team struggling for a road map out of the depths of CONCACAF.

Subsequent news that Canada would co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and the U.S. gave fans something to look forward to, given the Canadian men have only ever attended one World Cup (in 1986).

Herdman wanted more.

"We're going to qualify for 2022 Qatar," he told a news conference in February 2019. "And lay the foundation for 2026."

Herdman wears many hats coach, confessor, motivator among them. He surrounds himself with talent, counting goalkeeping coach Simon Eaddy and fitness coach Cesar Meylan among his inner circle from his days as women's coach. While he made changes to the existing men's staff, he also kept on some veteran team officials.

And he made a point of listing off a string of Canada Soccer employees after Tuesday's game, making sure they got their recognition for the famous win.

As coach, he has a knack of saying the right thing at the right time.

Take Liam Fraser as an example. The 21-year-old came on in the ninth minute, replacing the injured Mark-Anthony Kaye, and delivered a calm, composed performance in his senior debut.

After the game, Herdman shared a conversation he had with the Toronto FC midfielder.

"Only last camp I'm sitting on the stairs with him and the kid's upset that he can't see an opportunity coming for his country. And here you are," he said with a smile.

"Funnily enough on the stairs three weeks ago I said 'Son, just keep being good and the universe will bring you something. Just keep being good.' And it did. He got on that field tonight and he did bloody well."

Herdman watches over teenage star Alphonso Davies, trying to shield him from the expectations that come with a big-money transfer to Bayern Munich while putting him in a place to succeed.

"With Phonzie, it's just 'Get out there and play, son. Just go and do your thing,"' said Herdman.

The night before the U.S. game, he sat down with Davies and showed him clips from his days with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

"We just went back to some of his original days where when he got kicked, he got straight back up," said Herdman. "And when balls went in behind him, he'd recover and he'd fight to get it back. I think a little bit of that was missing. Just that wanting to play free and thinking he had to be in a structure. But he was free tonight and it was lovely to see."

Herdman also knows that competition in the Canadian ranks works wonders.

"He can't sit on his heels," he said of Davies. "We had Cavallini and (Junior) Hoilett on the bench."

Cavallini plies his trade for Puebla in Mexico while Hoilett is a veteran of the English Premier League who now plays in the Championship with Cardiff City. In past years, they would be automatic starters.

Hard work and commitment have been constants for Herdman, who grew up in Consett, just outside Newcastle, the son and grandson of steelworkers.

He played semi-pro football in the Northern League and for his university, soon realizing a pro career was not in the cards. So he got into coaching, starting to take courses at 16. He had his own soccer school at 23.

After spending time in South America to study Brazilian coaching methods, he returned home and set up a Brazilian soccer school. Players from Sunderland started sending their kids there, which led to a job offer in the Sunderland academy.

He spent three years there, working with a young Jordan Henderson, now a Liverpool and England star.

Herdman was lecturing four days a week in the sports science department at Northumbria University and working at the academy in the evening. He considered a PhD, using his experience at Sunderland as research.

Then Dr. Paul Potrac, his university supervisor, moved to Otago University in New Zealand. Potrac told Herdman about a soccer job as a regional director in New Zealand, selling him on the chance to essentially take over a blank football canvas.

Herdman took him up on it, coaching all ages while creating a soccer blueprint for the region. His hours matched his passion.

"I can't remember when I haven't done an 80-plus-hour week," he once said. "It's my personality, probably my mental disorder ... when I'm tuned into something I'm passionate about, I'm a bit crazy about it."

Herdman took the Kiwi under-20 team to the 2006 and '08 FIFA-20 Women's World Cups before leading the senior side to the World Cup in 2007 and 2011.

Then Canada came calling, dangling the lure of hosting the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Herdman is a driven coach. But a story about a VW Beetle speaks volumes about what makes him tick.

He used to drive a vintage silver Bug back and forth every weekend from university in Leeds to Consett to see his childhood sweetheart, now wife Clare. It helped that his best man was good at fixing Beetles.

Then someone crashed into the back of it, totalling the car. Herdman told his wife that some day, when he had time, he would get one to work on with his son.

Years later, in 2014, he unearthed a 1962 ragtop in Abbotsford, B.C., that needed work. Then he found one in Toronto ready to go.

Herdman mulled over the choice. While he liked the idea of working on the car with son J.J., he knew it might take years given his hectic schedule. So he bought the restored one, reasoning he and his son could share vintage car shows together (he also has a young daughter named Lilly-May).

The story demonstrates both Herdman's persistence and pragmatism.

Herdman celebrated Tuesday's win, which featured Canada's first goals against the U.S. in 12 years. His voice slightly hoarse and he proved to be in fine hugging form.

But he reminded listeners there is a long way to go.

"It's only one step, it's only one little drop in the ocean I'm hoping for this team. There's more to come," he said.

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With inspiration and motivation, John Herdman is changing the face of Canadian soccer - CBC.ca

When the Houston Texans traded for running back Carlos Hyde from the Kansas City Chiefs before the start of the season. The Texans ended up getting more than many expected, and Hyde made the team that traded him remember him with a strong performance on Sunday.

It was the Hyde revenge game as he put together a solid outing, rushing 26 times for 116 yards and one touchdown.

"I definitely had a little extra chip on my shoulder," Hyde said of taking the field against the Chiefs. "How things turned out here, it gave me extra motivation. I'm thankful for where I'm at and how things are going."

The Texans running game once again leaned on Hyde to do the bulk of the work for the offense. The running game was able to put up 192 yards on the ground in their win over the Chiefs while averaging 4.7 yards a carry.

The offense is showing the ability to not only throw the ball at will but the ability to control the clock on the ground. Hyde likes the balance that offense is showing early in the season.

"With the offense clicking like that, it's so hard to stop us," Hyde said of the offensive success. "When our offense is moving the ball like that, things are clicking, it's just hard to stop us. There are so many playmakers on this offense. It's a beauty."

Through five games, Hyde leads the Texans in rushing with 426 yards while averaging 4.3 yards a carry while finding pay dirt three times this season.

The Texans have allowed Hyde to get back to what he does best, and he appreciates them, letting him be the focus of the running game.

"They just let me be myself," Hyde said of the Texans. "[They] let me play my game. [They] let me get downhill. [They let me] do what I do best. You can't just focus on me. Like I said, there are so many other guys on this team that are a threat and can take over the game at any moment. The focus is not just on me. I can just go play my game, play free, and just be me."

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Texans Carlos Hyde Finds Extra Motivation in Win Over the Kansas City Chiefs - Sports Illustrated

The Kirksville football team has been battling momentum all season long, with the Tigers coming up on the losing end more often than not.

Coach Conrad Schottel said riding momentum is one of the best parts of the game for him, but being on the other end has been a tough pill to swallow with the lofty goals the team had for this season, now sitting at 1-6 after last weeks loss to Mexico.

Were fighting a big case of disappointment. Id be a liar if I didnt tell you I was disappointed or that any of the kids are, or the coaches, Schottel said. Were competitors and we want to win and we had high hopes coming into the year, certainly to have more wins in our win-loss column than we did. The fact of the matter is it hasnt worked out. Like I told the kids and I tell our staff and myself, we have two options: We can play the blame and victim game or we can rise to the occasion and make our own break and make our own momentum.

The Tigers get another winnable game this week as Moberly (4-3) comes to town. Kirksville eked out a 34-32 win over the Spartans last season and hope they can grab another one this time around on senior night.

Kirksville has had less than stellar showings in the second half of many games this season, losing halftime leads to Macon and Mexico, and going quiet against Clark County and Palmyra. Schottel has seen that happen and credits it more to not playing each phase well. He thought his offense and defense were playing very well last week against Mexico, then special teams allowed a long kick return before halftime to let the Bulldogs get back in the game before winning.

The Tiger defense had the team right there with Palmyra before the offense was shut out in the second half.

The biggest thing for me and our team and our staff isnt so much the halves, its playing a complete game and playing three phases of the game, Schottel said. Each phase of the game the kicking game, the offense and defense it all feeds each other. Right now, if you look at all of our weeks 1 through 7, we have not put together a full game, so thats really our emphasis. When our defense is playing really well at Palmyra, our offense not stepping on our toe and turning the ball over, for example. Or when both our defense and our offense is playing out of their heads and executing very well against Mexico, our kicking game cant stub our toe. Right now thats what weve got, were two of three at best and mostly one of three. Were trying to go three for three.

Junior Andrew Nothdurft plays all three phases of the ball for the Tigers, so hes seen what Schottel describes. Nothdurft said each unit has played hard, but has shot itself in the foot several times, usually caused by a lack of trust in each other, themselves, or the coaches. He said sometimes a player might read a situation differently than what the coaches call and will make a different move, leading to a mistake.

But the Tigers have tried to keep using their own disappointment in positive ways.

Everyones disappointed. You could say theyre pretty pissed, but we all want to win more and more after every loss, Nothdurft said. We just try to get it back up and keep fighting.

Moberly had its own second-half woes last week, getting shut out by Hannibal in the later portion of the game. Moberly has previously lost to Fulton by four and Lafayette County by seven, so theres reason to believe the Spartans could have been 6-1 coming into this game.

Junior quarterback Dominic Stoneking presents plenty of issues for a Tiger defense that has had trouble stopping the run. He can bruise his way up the middle and the Spartans also have some speedy backs to hit the edge.

But the Tigers have carried great attitudes through practice and hope to send their seniors out with one last home win.

Obviously, losing homecoming sucks, but this upcoming week with Moberly, we have senior night and theres been a lot of enthusiasm this entire week, said quarterback Paxton Dempsay.

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Kirksville football hopes to turn recent misfortune into motivation - Kirksville Daily Express and Daily News

With the pageantry and tradition, game days at Los Angeles Coliseum are quite the spectacle. USC remains one of the more recognizable brands in college football. And although the Trojans have been wildly inconsistent over the past decade, Arizonas players know exactly what this matchup means.

I mean, USC is always a big game, junior linebacker Tony Fields II said. As you can see last year (at Arizona Stadium), the crowd was almost sold out. My freshman year when we went to USC, it was wild, it was super loud.

When you used to play NCAA Football, you hear USCs (fight) song right when you cut it on. Its like, Yeah, Im playing against the head of Pac-12 football.

Junior defensive lineman Trevon Mason has yet to play a game at Los Angeles Coliseum. Unlike some of his teammates, the juco transfer isnt as impressed.

I just feel like they have a name, he said. I feel like theyre OK...

More here:
Extra motivation for J.J. Taylor, teammates from California as Wildcats visit USC - The Athletic