INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you are an artist trying to land a gig, you can mail, email, or hand-deliver your demo CD package to venues in your area. If you have personal connections, use them to obtain a personal meeting with the venue's booker. You can also send out your demos without making prior contact except to find out the mailing information. Record companies are always looking for the next big solo artist or band. Research the labels that sign artists similar to you and then mail out your demo CD packages. It's best to send your CDs to both large and small labels that sign bands playing your type of music. Circulating your demo CD around to other musicians in your area is a great way to find a band member or future collaborator. Be prepared to send out a large number of CDs when following this approach, as you usually need to spread the word far and wide to get results. You might package the CD with a message about what type of band member or artist you are searching for. Call up the record company or venue and ask about their submissions process. Specifically, get the exact address and contact information for the person who is responsible for receiving and evaluating demo CDs. Make sure that you get the person's exact title, which will help you write any letters that you plan to enclose. While you have them on the phone, ask if they have any suggestions or tips for how you should mail or package your CD. They might, for example, suggest that you use a basic mailing envelope and nothing else. It's also possible that the label does not accept unsolicited CDs and making a phone call in advance could save you a wasted CD. Just write a quick email to the person that you mailed your CD to. You could also do a phone call to a main line of the label, but be prepared to leave a message. If you never hear anything back, then you can assume that the answer is "no" and move on to your other submissions. For example, you might write, "Hello, I submitted a demo CD to you three weeks ago and was hoping that you could provide me with a status update. Thank you!"

SUMMARY: Send your demo to local venues to book a gig. Submit your demo to labels for a record deal. Send your demo out to local talent to find a music partner. Send it to the right person. Check your status about a month after submission.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You will not be using mortar, as mortar can expand and crack with each kiln firing, so make sure you pack the bricks tightly next to each other. Lay enough bricks to cover an area equal to the length and width of your kiln. These bricks will not only serve as your base layer, but also a shelf for your pottery. Lay these bricks flat and flush with each other, with no gaps in between. Stack them on top of each other until you've built a structure as high as you estimated your kiln should be. Leave one entire side open so that you can place pottery inside the kiln. For added stability, add each layer of bricks on top of the layer beneath it such that each brick's end is perpendicular with the center of the 2 bricks underneath it. Repeat this process until you have built the kiln's walls to their required height. When you have completed laying all the bricks, go to the wall that faces the wind direction. Remove a section of bricks 3 bricks high from the top of that wall. This gap will serve as your vent, allowing the smoke from the fire out and keep the kiln from overheating. This sheet will serve as your kiln's ceiling and keep the heat in to fire and harden objects inside. Weigh the iron down with bricks on each side to keep it in place. Otherwise, when you light the kiln, the force of the heat may cause the ceiling to pop off. If your sheet is made of cast iron, it is prone to rust easily. Make sure you remove it from the kiln and cover it when not in use to prevent damage from rain.

SUMMARY: Build your kiln's base by laying bricks flush against each other. Build kiln walls by laying bricks around 3 sides of the foundation. Lay the corrugated iron sheet on top of the kiln.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Cardio exercises, like using the stair master, can help build the muscles around your hips and butt. Incorporating the stair master as a form of cardio can help increase the size of your hips. Studies have shown that the stair master recruits about 24% of your glutes and hip muscles. Use the stair master 1-2 times a week for at least 30 minutes per session. To make this exercise more challenging and target your hips and butt, lean forward when stepping and do not hold onto the side rails. This forces your body to use your butt muscles more significantly. Also take large steps - almost as if you were taking two at a time. This actives a large portion of those muscles. Another cardio machine that can help tone your butt, hips and increase the size of your hips is the elliptical. It gives you the opportunity to really work those muscles. The elliptical machine recruits about 36% of your butt and hip muscles. This is slightly more than the stair master. Use the elliptical for at least 30 minutes. However, to get a well rounded workout, try doing 15 minutes of the stair master plus 15 minutes on the elliptical. To help target your hip and butt muscles, really focus on pressing down your foot, heel first. Also ease your hips backwards a bit, so that your butt is popping out a bit. This position helps specifically target those muscles. Running is a great cardio exercise. In general, it's a great way to target your butt and hips. However, using a treadmill allows you to use the incline function making this machine a great way to increase your hip size. Walking or jogging on the treadmill recruits the highest amount of your hip and butt muscles - almost 50%. Walk or jog on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes. Again, doing a combination of multiple cardio exercises can help work your butt and hips in different ways giving a better overall workout. To really target those hips, increase the incline on your treadmill. This places more stress on your glutes and hips and also give your bottom half more definition. Another option is to walk sideways on a treadmill. Set the treadmill on an incline and start at a slow pace. Cross your legs over one another to walk sideways. This will give your hips the tension they need to induce muscle growth. If you want to burn a lot of calories while toning your hips, consider taking a spin class. It's a great exercise to help strengthen and tone your hips, butt and thighs. Spin classes recruit many of the muscles around your hip and butt. The up and down positioning and varying resistances help make this a great exercise to increase your hip size. To help really target those hips, sit farther back on the bike seat and really focus on pushing down hard on those pedals. You may even want to increase the resistance. If you're in a standing position on your bike, really stick your butt out far behind you. This position is another one that will require you to stabilize your body with your butt and hip muscles. Your exercise plan should include at least one day of rest per week, to prevent plateaus and give your body time to recover. Mix up your workouts and their intensity to keep yourself motivated.

SUMMARY:
Use the stair master. Hop on the elliptical. Walk or jog on the treadmill. Take a spin class. Give yourself time for recovery.