Blood Promise Chapter One

Chapter One I was being followed. It was kind of ironic, considering the way I'd been following others for the last few weeks. At least it wasn't a Strigoi. I would have already known. A recent effect of my being shadow-kissed was the ability to sense the undead-through bouts of nausea, unfortunately. Still, I appreciated my body's early warning system and was relieved my stalker tonight wasn't an insanely fast, insanely vicious vampire. I'd fought enough of those recently and kind of wanted a night off. I had to guess my follower was a dhampir like me, probably one from the club. Admittedly, this person was moving a little less stealthily than I would have expected of a dhampir. Footsteps were clearly audible against the pavement of the dark side streets I was traveling on, and once, I'd caught a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure. Still, considering my rash actions tonight, a dhampir was the most likely culprit. It had all started earlier at the Nightingale. That wasn't the club's true name, only a translation. Its real name was something Russian that was beyond my ability to pronounce. Back in the U.S., the Nightingale was well known among rich Moroi who traveled abroad, and now I could understand why. No matter what time of the day it was, people at the Nightingale dressed like they were at an imperial ball. And, well, the whole place actually kind of looked like something from the old, royal days of Russia, with ivory walls covered in gold scroll-work and molding. It reminded me a lot of the WinterPalace, a royal residence left over from when Russia had still been ruled by czars. I'd toured it upon first arriving in Saint Petersburg. At the Nightingale, elaborate chandeliers filled with real candles glittered in the air, lighting up the gold decor so that even in dim lighting, the whole establishment sparkled. There was a large dining room filled with velvet-draped tables and booths, as well as a lounge and bar area where people could mingle. Late in the evening, a band would set up in there, and couples would hit the dance floor. I hadn't bothered with the Nightingale when I arrived in the city a couple weeks ago. I'd been arrogant enough to think I could find Moroi right away who could direct me to Dimitri's hometown in Siberia. With no other clues about where Dimitri had gone in Siberia, heading to the town he'd grown up in had been my best chance of getting closer to him. Only, I didn't know where it was, which was why I was trying to find Moroi to help me. There were a number of dhampir towns and communes in Russia but hardly any in Siberia, which made me believe most local Moroi would be familiar with his birthplace. Unfortunately, it turned out that the Moroi who lived in human cities were very good at keeping themselves hidden. I checked what I thought were likely Moroi hangouts, only to come up empty. And without those Moroi, I had no answers. So, I'd begun staking out the Nightingale, which wasn't easy. It was hard for an eighteen-year-old girl to blend into one of the city's most elite clubs. I'd soon found that expensive clothes and large enough tips went a long way toward helping me get by. The waitstaff had come to know me, and if they thought my presence was strange, they didn't say so and were happy to give me the corner table I always asked for. I think they thought I was the daughter of some tycoon or politician. Whatever my background, I had the money to be there, which was all they cared about. Even so, my first few nights there had been discouraging. The Nightingale might have been an elite hangout for Moroi, but it was also frequented by humans. And at first, it had seemed those were the club's only patrons. Crowds grew larger as the night progressed, and in peering through the packed tables and people lingering at the bar, I'd seen no Moroi. The most notable thing I'd seen was a woman with long, platinum-blond hair walking into the lounge with a group of friends. For a moment, my heart had stopped. The woman had her back to me, but she had looked so much like Lissa that I'd felt certain I'd been tracked down. The weird thing was, I didn't know whether to feel excited or horrified. I missed Lissa so, so much-yet at the same time, I didn't want her involved in this dangerous trip of mine. Then the woman had turned around. It wasn't Lissa. She wasn't even a Moroi, just a human. Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. Finally, a week or so ago, I'd had my first sighting. A group of Moroi women had come in for a late lunch, accompanied by two guardians, one male and one female, who sat dutifully and quietly at the table as their charges gossiped and laughed over afternoon champagne. Dodging those guardians had been the trickiest part. For those who knew what to look for, Moroi were easy to spot: taller than most humans, pale, and uber-slim. They also had a certain funny way of smiling and holding their lips in order to hide their fangs. Dhampirs, with our human blood, appeared†¦ well, human. That was certainly how I looked to the untrained human eye. I was about five foot seven, and whereas Moroi tended to have unreal, runway-model bodies, mine was athletically built and curvy in the chest. Genetics from my unknown Turkish father and too much time in the sun had given me a light tan that paired well with long, nearly black hair and equally dark eyes. But those who had been raised in the Moroi world could spot me as a dhampir through close examination. I'm not sure what it was-maybe some instinct that drew us to our own kind and recognized the mix of Moroi blood. Regardless, it was imperative that I appear human to those guardians, so I didn't raise their alarms. I sat across the room in my corner, picking over caviar and pretending to read my book. For the record, I thought caviar was disgusting, but it seemed to be everywhere in Russia, particularly in the nice places. That and borscht-a kind of beet soup. I almost never finished my food at the Nightingale and would ravenously hit McDonald's afterward, even though the Russian McDonald's restaurants were a bit different from what I'd grown up with in the U.S. Still, a girl had to eat. So it became a test of my skill, studying the Moroi when their guardians weren't watching. Admittedly, the guardians had little to fear during the day, since there would be no Strigoi out in the sun. But it was in guardian nature to watch everything, and their eyes continually swept the room. I'd had the same training and knew their tricks, so I managed to spy without detection. The women came back a lot, usually late in the afternoon. St. Vladimir's ran on a nocturnal schedule, but Moroi and dhampirs living out among humans either ran on a daylight schedule or something in between. For a while, I'd considered approaching them-or even their guardians. Something held me back. If anyone would know where a town of dhampirs lived, it would be male Moroi. Many of them visited dhampir towns in hopes of scoring easy dhampir girls. So I promised myself I'd wait another week to see if any guys came by. If not, I would see what kind of information the women could give me. At last, a couple days ago, two Moroi guys had started showing up. They tended to come later in the evening, when the real partiers arrived. The men were about ten years older than me and strikingly handsome, wearing designer suits and silk ties. They carried themselves like powerful, important people, and I would have bet good money that they were royal-particularly since each one came with a guardian. The guardians were always the same, young men who wore suits to blend in but still carefully watched the room with that clever guardian nature. And there were women-always women. The two Moroi were terrible flirts, continually scoping out and hitting on every woman in sight-even humans. But they never went home with any humans. That was a taboo still firmly ingrained in our world. Moroi had kept themselves separate from humans for centuries, fearing detection from a race that had grown so plentiful and powerful. Still, that didn't mean the men went home alone. At some point in the evening, dhampir women usually showed up-different ones every night. They'd come in wearing low-cut dresses and lots of makeup, drinking heavily and laughing at everything the guys said-which probably wasn't even that funny. The women always wore their hair down, but every once in a while, they'd shift their heads in a way that showed their necks, which were heavily bruised. They were blood whores, dhampirs who let Moroi drink blood during sex. That was also a taboo-though it still happened in secret. I kept wanting to get one of the Moroi men alone, away from the watchful eyes of his guardians so that I could question him. But it was impossible. The guardians never left their Moroi unattended. I even attempted to follow them, but each time the group left the club, they'd almost immediately hop into a limousine-making it impossible for me to track them on foot. It was frustrating. I finally decided tonight that I'd have to approach the whole group and risk detection by the dhampirs. I didn't know if anyone from back home was actually looking for me, or if the group would even care who I was. Maybe I just had too high an opinion of myself. It was definitely possible that no one was actually concerned about a runaway dropout. But if anyone was looking for me, my description had undoubtedly been circulated amongst guardians worldwide. Even though I was now eighteen, I wouldn't have put it past some of the people I knew to haul me back to the U.S., and there was no way I could return until I'd found Dimitri. Then, just as I was considering my move on the group of Moroi, one of the dhampir women left the table to walk up to the bar. The guardians watched her, of course, but seemed confident about her safety and were more fixated on the Moroi. All this time, I'd been thinking Moroi men would be the best way to go to get information about a village of dhampirs and blood whores-but what better way to locate this place than by asking an actual blood whore? I strolled casually from my table and approached the bar, like I too was going to get a drink. I stood by as the woman waited for the bartender and studied her in my periphery. She was blond and wore a long dress covered in silver sequins. I couldn't decide if it made my black satin sheath dress appear tasteful or boring. All of her movements-even the way she stood-were graceful, like a dancer's. The bartender was helping others, and I knew it was now or never. I leaned toward her. â€Å"Do you speak English?† She jumped in surprise and looked over at me. She was older than I'd expected, her age cleverly concealed by makeup. Her blue eyes assessed me quickly, recognizing me as a dhampir. â€Å"Yes,† she said warily. Even the one word carried a thick accent. â€Å"I'm looking for a town†¦ a town where lots of dhampirs live, out in Siberia. Do you know what I'm talking about? I need to find it.† Again she studied me, and I couldn't read her expression. She might as well have been a guardian for all that her face revealed. Maybe she'd trained at one time in her life. â€Å"Don't,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Let it go.† She turned away, her gaze back on the bartender as he made someone a blue cocktail adorned with cherries. I touched her arm. â€Å"I have to find it. There's a man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I choked on the word. So much for my cool interrogation. Just thinking about Dimitri made my heart stick in my throat. How could I even explain it to this woman? That I was following a long-shot clue, seeking out the man I loved most in the world-a man who had been turned into a Strigoi and who I now needed to kill? Even now, I could perfectly picture the warmth of his brown eyes and the way his hands used to touch me. How could I do what I had crossed an ocean to do? Focus, Rose. Focus. The dhampir woman looked back at me. â€Å"He's not worth it,† she said, mistaking my meaning. No doubt she thought I was a lovesick girl, chasing some boyfriend-which, I supposed, I kind of was. â€Å"You're too young†¦ it's not too late for you to avoid all that.† Her face might have been impassive, but there was sadness in her voice. â€Å"Go do something else with your life. Stay away from that place.† â€Å"You know where it is!† I exclaimed, too worked up to explain that I wasn't going there to be a blood whore. â€Å"Please-you have to tell me. I have to get there!† â€Å"Is there a problem?† Both she and I turned and looked into the fierce face of one of the guardians. Damn. The dhampir woman might not be their top priority, but they would have noticed someone harassing her. The guardian was only a little older than me, and I gave him a sweet smile. I might not be spilling out of my dress like this other woman, but I knew my short skirt did great things for my legs. Surely even a guardian wasn't immune to that? Well, apparently he was. His hard expression showed that my charms weren't working. Still, I figured I might as well try my luck with him on getting intel. â€Å"I'm trying to find a town in Siberia, a town where dhampirs live. Do you know it?† He didn't blink. â€Å"No.† Wonderful. Both were playing difficult. â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe your boss does?† I asked demurely, hoping I sounded like an aspiring blood whore. If the dhampirs wouldn't talk, maybe one of the Moroi would. â€Å"Maybe he wants some company and would talk to me.† â€Å"He already has company,† the guardian replied evenly. â€Å"He doesn't need any more.† I kept the smile on. â€Å"Are you sure?† I purred. â€Å"Maybe we should ask him.† â€Å"No,† replied the guardian. In that one word, I heard the challenge and the command. Back off. He wouldn't hesitate to take on anyone he thought was a threat to his master-even a lowly dhampir girl. I considered pushing my case further but quickly decided to follow the warning and indeed back off. I gave an unconcerned shrug. â€Å"His loss.† And with no other words, I walked casually back to my table, like the rejection was no big deal. All the while I held my breath, half-expecting the guardian to drag me out of the club by my hair. It didn't happen. Yet as I gathered my coat and set some cash on the table, I saw him watching me, eyes wary and calculating. I left the Nightingale with that same nonchalant air, heading out toward the busy street. It was a Saturday night, and there were lots of other clubs and restaurants nearby. Partygoers filled the streets, some dressed as richly as the Nightingale's patrons; others were my age and dressed in casual wear. Lines spilled out of the clubs, dance music loud and heavy with bass. Glass-fronted restaurants showed elegant diners and richly set tables. As I walked through the crowds, surrounded by Russian conversation, I resisted the urge to look behind me. I didn't want to raise any further suspicion if that dhampir was watching. Yet when I turned down a quiet street that was a shortcut back to my hotel, I could hear the soft sounds of footsteps. I apparently had raised enough alarm that the guardian had decided to follow me. Well, there was no way I was going to let him get the drop on me. I might have been smaller than him-and wearing a dress and heels-but I had fought plenty of men, including Strigoi. I could handle this guy, especially if I used the element of surprise. After walking this neighborhood for so long, I knew it and its twists and turns well. I picked up my pace and darted around a few corners, one of which led me into a dark, deserted alley. Scary, yeah, but it made for a good ambush spot when I ducked into a doorway. I quietly stepped out of my high-heeled shoes. They were black with pretty leather straps but not ideal in a fight, unless I planned on gouging someone in the eye with a heel. Actually, not a bad idea. But I wasn't quite that desperate. Without them, the pavement was cold beneat h my bare feet since it had rained earlier in the day. I didn't have to wait long. A few moments later, I heard the footsteps and saw my pursuer's long shadow appear on the ground, cast in the flickering light of a street lamp on the adjacent road. My stalker came to a stop, no doubt searching for me. Really, I thought, this guy was careless. No guardian in pursuit would have been so obvious. He should have moved with more stealth and not revealed himself so easily. Maybe the guardian training here in Russia wasn't as good as what I'd grown up with. No, that couldn't be true. Not with the way Dimitri had dispatched his enemies. They'd called him a god at the Academy. My pursuer took a few more steps, and that's when I made my move. I leapt out, fists ready. â€Å"Okay,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I only wanted to ask a few questions, so just back off or else-â€Å" I froze. The guardian from the club wasn't standing there. A human was. A girl, no older than me. She was about my height, with cropped dark blond hair and a navy blue trench coat that looked expensive. Underneath it, I could see nice dress pants and leather boots that looked as pricey as the coat. More startling still was that I recognized her. I'd seen her twice at the Nightingale, talking to the Moroi men. I'd assumed she was just another of the women they liked to flirt with and had promptly dismissed her. After all, what use was a human to me? Her face was partly covered in shadow, but even in poor lighting, I could make out her annoyed expression. That wasn't quite what I'd expected. â€Å"It's you, isn't it?† she asked. Cue more shock. Her English was as American as my own. â€Å"You're the one who's been leaving the string of Strigoi bodies around the city. I saw you back in the club tonight and knew it had to be you.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No other words formed on my lips. I had no idea how to respond. A human talking casually about Strigoi? It was unheard of. This was almost more astonishing than actually running into a Strigoi out here. I'd never experienced anything like this in my life. She didn't seem to care about my stupefied state. â€Å"Look, you can't just do that, okay? Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for me to deal with? This internship is bad enough without you making a mess of it. The police found the body you left in the park, you know. You cannot even imagine how many strings I had to pull to cover that up.† â€Å"Who†¦ who are you?† I asked at last. It was true. I had left a body in the park, but seriously, what was I supposed to do? Drag him back to my hotel and tell the bellhop my friend had had too much to drink? â€Å"Sydney,† the girl said wearily. â€Å"My name's Sydney. I'm the Alchemist assigned here.† â€Å"The what?† She sighed loudly, and I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes. â€Å"Of course. That explains everything.† â€Å"No, not really,† I said, finally regaining my composure. â€Å"In fact, I think you're the one who has a lot of explaining to do.† â€Å"And attitude too. Are you some kind of test they sent here for me? Oh, man. That's it.† I was getting angry now. I didn't like being chastised. I certainly didn't like being chastised by a human who made it sound like me killing Strigoi was a bad thing. â€Å"Look, I don't know who you are or how you know about any of this, but I'm not going to stand here and-â€Å" Nausea rolled over me and I tensed, my hand immediately going for the silver stake I kept in my coat pocket. Sydney still wore that annoyed expression, but it was mingled with confusion now at the abrupt change in my posture. She was observant, I'd give her that. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked. â€Å"You're going to have another body to deal with,† I said, just as the Strigoi attacked her.

Maturation in Bless Me, Ultima Essay - 714 Words

In Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya defends the assertion, â€Å"for in much wisdom there is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow,† from Ecclesiastes. Tony endures many trials throughout the novel, therefore increasing his knowledge of life but also increasing his grief and sorrow. After witnessing Lupito’s death, Tony realizes that people are not always what they appear to be. Tony also begins to question his religion because of trials in the novel, some of which include Lucas’ cure and the sighting of the golden carp. In his trek during the blizzard, Tony learns of his brother’s sinful doings and he witnesses the death of a good man. Tony gains much knowledge in these scenes, but, unfortunately, with this†¦show more content†¦The people in the mob, who Tony knows as typically peaceful people, become violent. They show no mercy towards the war-sick Lupito, who shot the sheriff. Tony is emotionally affected because he believes that his father participated in the act and could have been one of the men on the bridge who shot Lupito. Tony also learns how much sorrow World War II has caused. The families of soldiers are broken because their sons are at war. And now the horrors of the war have claimed two more deaths. Tony begins to question his belief in God after Ultima cures his Uncle Lucas and Tony sees the beauty of the golden carp. Tony witnesses Ultima cure his uncle after the Trementina daughters put a curse on Lucas. Ultima’s special power is the only thing that can heal the ailing man. Not even the Church can reverse the Trementina’s curse. After Ultima’s work is done, Tony questions the power of the Church and God. If they are so powerful, why could they not rid Lucas of the evil in him? Tony questions his religion even more following the sighting of the golden carp. He has never seen God, but he has seen the beauty and splendor of the golden carp. Tonyâ€⠄¢s â€Å"questions and worries evaporate† at the sight of the pagan god. When Tony sees the golden carp, he feels the way he had hoped to feel at his First Communion. The golden carp, not the power behind the Church, is Tony’s idea of a God. Tony gains the most wisdomShow MoreRelated Summary of Bless Me, Ultima Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesSummary of Bless Me, Ultima Bless Me, Ultima is a story about the maturation of a young Mexican-American boy, Antonio M’arez, struggling with many questions about his destiny, life and death, and good and evil. Ultima who comes to live with Antonio becomes his caretaker and his teacher. Antonio learns there are powers in the world that differ from his beliefs in the Catholic faith. Ultima teaches Antonio â€Å"that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength thatRead MoreBless Me, Ultima, By Rudolfo Anaya960 Words   |  4 Pageswhat shape their future, making them evolve both mentally and spiritually. In Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio’s system of beliefs is greatly influenced by the perception of God that is instilled in him mainly by his mother. His understanding of God is forced to evolve as Antonio goes through many experiences throughout the course of the novel, including the tragedies that befall Narciso, Florence, and Ultima and his exposure t o these characters. God is a being that is characterized byRead MoreCultural, Religious and Language Conflicts in Bless Me, Ultima1732 Words   |  7 PagesCultural, religious and language conflicts in Bless Me, Ultima Bless Me, Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya and published in 1972, has become one of the most widely read as well as critically acclaimed novels in the Chicano literature. It is first in the trilogy of novels by Anaya, with Heart of Aztlan (1976) and Tortuga (1979) following it. This novel can be viewed from many angles as well as layers, as it intertwines issues or themes of psychological maturation, social changes, identity crisis and importantlyRead MoreAnalysis Of Bless Me Ultima 1918 Words   |  8 Pagesparticular. Abraham Maslow, a highly celebrated psychologist, has dissected this topic and created a theory of self-actualization where he outlines a pyramid through which one ascends and achieves specific needs until he reaches an actualized state. Bless Me Ultima is a bildungsroman novel where Rudolfo Anaya stresses the way in which Antonio, the protagonist, finds his place in the world and learns about his beliefs as an individual through hardships, love from those close to him, and exposure to new cultures

Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown - The Puritans and Love...

Young Goodman Brown:nbsp; The Puritans and Lovenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hawthorne’snbsp; â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, exposes the puritan view of love and relationships. In theory, these two visions are diametrically opposed. One exalts love as a physical manifestation between two individuals (although it also claims to represent higher ideals), the other sees it as a spiritual need, one best manifested by attachment to God. In fact, the puritans did not see love as a good thing, but rather as an evil, a grim necessity, that is, they saw physical love (between a man and a woman, or sexuality and all it carries with it) as such. The emotional turmoil affecting Goodman Brown†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This puritan notion eclipses the New Testaments message of redemption that we have been forgiven for Adams fault, through Jesus sacrifice. Instead, it clings to that original notion of impurity, of a stain on all men and women. It also clings to the fact that since women are the root of all evil, they should be especially feared. A man should not love his wife, or else face the consequences of the wrath of God. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;If women are evil, and sex is evil, then men cannot in good conscience be with women, yet they must, for how else will the race continue? Puritanism condemns men to a constant state of uncertainty on their actions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Goodman Brown is no exception, in fact, he seems to be the rule. He is recently married to a woman ironically named Faith, whom he loves dearly. He seems happily married, and yet, there is something odd with him at the start of the story. We sense he is a troubled man, and the source of his worries seem to be his wife. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! [...] Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done to-night. But no, no! t would kill her to think it.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;He sets off on a journey into the woods, where he encounters the devil, and many people from hisShow MoreRelated Morality and Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1146 Words   |  5 PagesYoung Goodman Brown was published in 1835, when Nathaniel Hawthorne was 31 years old. Hawthorne was born and reared in Salem, Massachusetts, a village still permeated by its 17th century Puritanism. When he was four, Hawthornes father   died, and from that point on he was surrounded mostly by females: two sisters, a maiden aunt, and a retiring mother who was not close to her children. He had little contact with his deceased fathers family, but his maternal relatives were supportive and saw toRead More Hawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown1739 Words   |  7 PagesHawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown When an author depicts a person or group of people in his or her work, the opinion of the writer most often sifts into the descriptions, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some writers are very guarded regarding their feelings toward any particular subject, while others are very open and happy to share. Nathaniel Hawthorne belongs to the latter group. The purpose of the majority of his literary workRead MoreThe Theme Of Faith In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown945 Words   |  4 PagesHawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, is a coming of age story of saints and sinners. 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Special Education Programs For Children - 3085 Words

Special Education programs are designed for certain students who are born with certain disabilities such as mental, physical, social, and sometimes have an emotional delay. These issues are normally found in once the child once he or she is born. As a parent, you are beyond thrilled of the new born blessing, that even if the child is born with a disability, the parent would love on he or she, just as if he or she had no disability. Once a child is born with a disability the parent goes the extra mile and beyond to ensure their child is getting the best help towards the child’s overall development. Children with disabilities cannot be met within the traditional classroom environment. There are special education programs statewide in each school to assist students with disabilities. Majority of the special education programs deals with the child’s cognitive and physical development, and scholastic skills. Children with special needs come from all different types of house holds. There are some kids who parents get the best help for their child overall development, while they are other parents who send s their child to school and letting the administrative of the school deals with the child. Although these services are free at no expense to the parents, some parents feel it’s the school job to assist their children with placing their child in special education programs. Another reason parents might lack in the child disability problem is because they also have a disability.Show MoreRelatedSpecial Needs Children and the Special Education Program Controversy1409 Words   |  6 PagesSpecial education is such a broad and sensitive topic to talk about as well as the several issues that come with the Special education topic. 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Leadership Style - Skill - and Change Management

Question: Give a brief discussion on leadership style, skill, and change management. Answer: Leadership Good leadership requires good human quality beyond the concept of being authoritative. In the age of globalizations, good leaders are the enabling force motivating the people and organizations to perform and develop in a team to achieve the purpose of the organization aligning individuals with organizations needs and aims. Good leadership includes the right attitude and behaviour that is related to humanity. Leadership is an opportunity to serve the people of the society. Leadership focuses on the people of the organization to make effective decisions and actions and its responsibility for people. Leadership includes emotional strengths and behavioural characteristics, which comes from the leaders and the experience they have gathered over the years. Leadership is a very profound concept, which is characterized by increasingly complex and rapid-changing world. Good leaders are obeyed as people trust and respect them because of the excellent leadership they have shown. Leadership depe nds on the attributes that are not measurable like faith, inspiration, attitude, decision making and it comes from the personal and professional experience of the leaders. Today ethical leadership has become an important part since the world is connected and media and public criticize the action and philosophies of the organization. The new leaders need to understand the people and the consequences before making any such decisions that affect the company image in the market. Effective leaders are flexible enough to change the leadership style as per evolving situation. There are classic styles, transformational styles, participative styles and influential leaders (Madsen et al., 2014). Classic styles explain how much control a leader gives to its subordinates. In a laissez-faire, style of leadership manager gives very less authority to the subordinates. This style of leadership suits well in a situation where the employees are very trained and motivated. Whereas autocratic style of leadership explains a situation where leaders control most of the work and give very less scope to the subordinates to make any suggestions. The participative leadership style focuses on teamwork to work collaboratively to solve the problem and increase the performance of the leaders (Salih Doll, 2013). Transformational style explains how leaders can bring changes to a workplace and in the employees. The leaders of this category have a vision of the company and have the skillets to implement the vision. The leaders are inspired by their exquisite quality and skill of leadership to set the vision of the organization and motivate others to achieve it. This type of leadership suits well in entrepreneurial businesses (Mast et al., 2012). Participative styles highlight employee participation in work. One of this kind of leadership is the democratic style of leadership. In this form the leader, take the individuals suggestion while making decisions for the organization. The style is best suited for those organization which has several alternatives to direct the team. The affiliative style focuses on the teamwork to increase the performance of the team and improve the overall standard of communication the system. This applies to the company where there is a huge gap created by an improper connection. Active Leaders belong to that category which is affected by the personality of the leaders. This type of leadership focuses on the influential leaders who set the high standard of goal and are very obsessive to realize the target. Michael Dell, one of the prominent leaders of Dell computers located in Texas belong to the category because of his constant endeavour to grow and improve the business. In a commanding style of leadership, the leaders dictate the employees like a military and are applicable in crisis. In coaching style, the leader identifies the development areas of an employee to teach the learner how to overcome the problem by formulating the action plan and by continuously providing feedback to improve the outcome (Jones et al., 2012). Role-play Role-play is an important learning tool for a long time. By role-playing a person is projecting himself in an imaginary situation where a person can't control the outcome of a case but anticipates some of the conditions to direct the performance to effect the results. Role plays often use theory and gather all the concepts to transform it into a practical experience. Role-play can be ineffective when people are not clear about what they are supposed to do. The objective of role-playing is to make it clear to the employees what is expected of them. The leader needs to understand whether the manager wants to assess the skill of the employees or developing them. If it is evaluating the people, then they must know the competency level of people to are aware of their potential and their capability to face a challenge. It allows other participants to monitor the role-play to make the comment on this since it is hugely learning experience for the observers. The spectators should follow the leader's instruction while observing the matter understand the aim role-play. One of the objectives of the role-play is to develop the person to face future challenges for the organization. The concept of role play centres around few things it must be simple, and the objective of role play must be clear to the participants, and the participants must understand the ins tructions and feedback of the leader who is given instantly (Bennett Dodge, 2014). For example Storyboarding has been used for engineering and computer science projects to ensure cooperation form experts from different streams. Collaborative design workshops use role play where a computer science or engineering students assume to play project roles like project manager, designer to play it up and it helps them to gather skill and knowledge and overcome the challenges while facing such situation in reality. Change management Change management includes shifting the organization and its employee to bring desired changes in the business. It can be strategic, operational or technological changes that can come from the organization or outside the organization. Technical, macroeconomics, globalization and new legal legislation are considered the external forces for change whereas new management, restructuring are considered the internal forces for change. The management is a change agent who will bring all the positive shifts in the organization to for the betterment of the company. The external forces stimulate the organization to change the existing scenario with the help of leadership to bring the desired organizational changes. Technological changes can bring dramatic changes to the structure by expanding the supply and demand for the product in a market. It requires competent change management to get the opportunity by avoiding all the negative implications associated with it. The recession of 2008 exemplifies the importance of adaptability and change (Cameron Green, 2015). Shell was lacking of oil reserves crisis in 2004 and that has affected its share price. This has happened due to the departure of the Oil groups chairman, Sir Philip Watts. The new chairman Jeroen van der has identified the need of change and transformations of entire structure to retain the market share of the product. They have standardized the entire system effecting 80 Shell units. The change in process has shown the major market players the need of change and focused on adoption from everybody involved in the system. Participative management It distributes responsibility among the team members hence empowering the member and helping them in groups decision-making. The participative leadership centers around four things. First is the information sharing that is keeping the employees informed about the changes and the economic status of the company. It provides training to enhance the skill level of the employees and provide development opportunities to apply new skills in respect of decision making in the organization. It offers many benefits for the company by creating ownership in the company and motivates employees to enhance productivity to achieve the goal. Steve Jobs, the owner of Apple and Pixar, is one of the iconic participative leaders who has invented Macintosh PC. Jobs invention is marked by simplicity; every aspect of the device is analyzed carefully. Therefore, Job has created something which is an example of excellent innovation and able to instil confidence in the users. In his leadership he has shown patience, empathy, enthusiasm and confidence (Sebastian,2014). Steve Jobs helped Apple to survive because of his adaptability to new changes, from a participative leader Steve Jobs has become charismatic or laissez-faire leader and Apple has got success then he became an autocratic leader and resigned the company as per the instructions of Apples board of directors. Jobs has returned to Apple after 10 years and applied several leadership styles with participative style at the same time. Thus Jobs with the help of other experienced leaders has achieved the success and Apple survived. Group Discussions Group discussions help to resolve problems, improves decision-making and to assess the personality of the employees in a better way. It has become essential tools for problem solving by providing diverse viewpoints. So the success of group discussions depends on effective communication, a participation of all candidates and a real leadership skill (Ahmad et al., 2014). Many reputed B-schools like IIMs conduct group discussions in the final round of selection process. In this process the candidates are asked few questions based on a case study and the case study group discussions are mostly dealing with situations in corporate world. The candidate will be given a situation, a problem and are expected to provide solution of the case. Types and processes of change Many issues compelled the organization to bring variations in the body. There are developmental changes which are aimed to improve the present business structure. For example changing the current billing and reporting procedures or developing the training methods. It can be a renovation of marketing strategy and the branding strategy. Transitional changes are those to replace the existing process with the new one. Examples are restructuring the company mergers or requisitions, launching new products and new technology. Transformational changes are those to replace the company structure, business strategy and the process entirely to cope up with the market changes (Sousa et al., 2013). Leading Change Successful change management leadership includes the input and the participation of subordinates to initiate changes and design a new business model. It includes analysis of statistical data, which is related to sales, market share, and compare to competitors, focusing on customers surveys. The most important aspect of changes is successfully transforming the employees into the new role. Successful leaders can address the potential issues, and give clear guideline and provide training to achieve the goal in reality (Asgari Hasanpous, 2013) Reference List Ahmad, N. L., Tobi, S. N. M., Rahim, R. A., Shobri, N. D. M., Wahab, S. (2014). The Relationship between Participative Management and Job Satisfaction. InProceeding of The Austrialian Academy of Business and Social Science Conference, ISBN 978-0-9925622-0(Vol. 5). Asgari, M. H., Hasanpous, H. (2013). Comparison of impact of managers participative and collaborative management styles on creativity, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of secondary school teachers, Rasht city, Iran.International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences,4(5), 1081-1085. Bennett, D., Dodge, K. (2014). It was like a mirror: a reflection on filmed role play simulation. Cameron, E., Green, M. (2015).Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Jones, N., Seddon, R., Fear, N. T., McAllister, P., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N. (2012). Leadership, cohesion, morale, and the mental health of UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan.Psychiatry,75(1), 49-59. Madsen, I. E., Hanson, L. L. M., Rugulies, R., Theorell, T., Burr, H., Diderichsen, F., Westerlund, H. (2014). Does good leadership buffer effects of high emotional demands at work on risk of antidepressant treatment? A prospective study from two Nordic countries.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology,49(8), 1209-1218. Mast, M. S., Jonas, K., Cronauer, C. K., Darioly, A. (2012). On the importance of the superior's interpersonal sensitivity for good leadership.Journal of Applied Social Psychology,42(5), 1043-1068. Salih, A., Doll, Y. (2013). A middle management perspective on strategy implementation.International Journal of Business and Management,8(22), 32. Sebastian, D. J. (2014). Effectiveness of participative management in the industrial sector of Kerala. Sousa, M. E. M., Martins, B. M. L., Fernandes, M. E. B. (2013). Meeting the giants: The need for local ecological knowledge (LEK) as a tool for the participative management of manatees on Maraj Island, Brazilian Amazonian coast.Ocean coastal management,86, 53-60.

Quality Management of food truck Restaurant-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Quality Management of food truck Restaurant. Answer: Introduction In the modern era, delivery of quality products and services is essential for the growth and success of a business enterprise. In simpler terms, quality can be defined as the distinctive characteristic of products or services which satisfy the need and demand of customers in the best possible manner. It can be also expressed that there is a direct relationship between quality and customer satisfaction(Barata Cunha 2017). Low product and services quality can directly result in developing the high degree of dissatisfaction among customers. On the other side of this, good quality of products and services encourage customer loyalty and repeat purchase. However, it can be critically argued that management and improvement in quality, in the long run, is not an easy task for organizations as there are various issues and challenges faced during the same(Tzamalis, Panagiotakos Drosinos 2016). For example, companies are required to focus on areas such as continuous improvement, leadership, c hange management and feedback from stakeholders. The present study is based on A special restaurant food truck, and it outlines, the overall concept of quality management. In addition to this, existing business process and quality management systems within food truck are also mentioned in the study. Concept of quality management In the present scenario, the changing business environment and market needs have resulted in creating obstacles for growth and success of companies. Nowadays, businesses are required to maintain the highest level of quality within their products and services to sustain in the marketplace(Mok, Sparks Kadampully 2013). The latest trend in the restaurant business is of the road food business which is getting more and more popular along with the passage of time. Here, different food products and services are delivered to customers through mobile food truck and portable sustenance trucks. At present, the industrys overall value is more than $1 Billion, and from the year 2007 to 2012, the industry has witnessed an annual growth rate of 8.4%. On the contrary of this, it can be critically argued that along with high growth rate, the industry has also become highly competitive. To attract new customers and retain the old ones, it is required by the selected business which is food truck restaurant to focus on delivering the best quality of food products and satisfactory services to all customers. In todays business world, quality is essential because it helps in meeting the need and expectation of customers in the best possible manner(Pineda 2013). In addition to this, the overall reputation of a food truck in the market can be enhanced by delivering quality products and services. According to the concept of quality management, the overall cost of operations increases when the quality of products and services offered by a company is poor. The food truck is required to emphasize more on the aspect of quality management to reduce operational cost and enhance profit margin. However, it can be critically argued that difficulty i n implementation is the major drawback associated with the concept of total quality management(Augusto, Lisboa Yasin 2014). The food truck is also required to carry out effective monitoring of all its processes and operations to identify loopholes and take corrective measures to improve quality. Customer expectation of processes, services, and product can be met through company operations Nowadays, meeting customer expectations of processes, services, products have become vital for long-term growth and sustainability of companies. Furthermore, the customers want that businesses should opt for a quality process which can deliver satisfactory products and services. It can be stated that implementing a customer feedback system is the best and most potential way through which the expectation of customers can be meet in the best possible manner. The food truck can adopt a feedback system wherein reliable data about products and services quality can be collected through customers(Davis et al. 2013). Based on the information gathered, corrective measures can be taken by the selected food truck business to carry out improvement in the quality and attain the higher degree of satisfaction among customers. However, it can be asserted that the business will need to ensure that the feedback provided by customers is taken seriously and immediate actions for improvement are carried out. On the other hand, customers expectations with regards to processes, services, and products can be meet through the adaption of open communication channels. The key and most important characteristic of service industry are that here employees comes in direct contact with all customers(Chaudary, Zafar Salman 2015). Therefore, the food truck can implement open communication channels where employees can be encouraged to present their views regarding what kind of changes can be carried out in menu and service delivery process. The information provided by staff members can be beneficial in terms of carrying out improvement in areas such as to processes, services, and products. Best Way To Develop Quality Management It can be stated that development of quality management is essential to sustain in the highly competitive service industry. Furthermore, the food truck is required to commit quality to attain a high degree of satisfaction among customers. Even the quality management model present by Deming highlights the fact that quality should be reinforced over and over again and top management must do the same(Bon Mustafa 2013). All the staff members working in food truck should commit quality with an objective to carry out effective management of the same. In addition to this, tracking and monitoring quality is another strategy which can be adopted by the food truck to manage its quality in the best possible manner. On the other side of this, it can be critically argued that tracking quality in the service industry is the most challenging task for businesses(Doeleman, Ten Have Ahaus 2014). The food truck can adopt techniques such as net promoter score to track its service quality and identify the critical loopholes present in the same. Another effective way which can be used by the selected business enterprise to manage its quality is of investing in employee training and development. The food truck is operating with very few staff members and thus, conducting training programs to enhance service delivery is not going to be a challenging task for the business(Sallis 2014). Implementing quality circles is also a good way which can be used by the food truck to manage its service quality. Another effective way that can be adopted by food truck for enhancing food quality is rendering training to the staff members on different aspects through which they can know the ways through which quality of food can be enhanced easily. Food truck has to build strong relationship with the suppliers so that they may supply quality food item. Figure 1: Quality circle Source: (courses.bus School of Business 2000) The mentioned above diagram denotes a quality circle which can be used by businesses such as Food truck to manage their quality(Mohammad Mosadeghrad 2014). Here, the business will need to focus on four different areas which are plan, do, check and act. This circle is being used by food truck where in the first stage company takes appropriate action with the motive to improve quality of its food item, in second stage planning is done where food truck has to determine its customer need so as to satisfy it, the plan prepared is implemented and at last testing is done. Relationship between customer satisfaction and high quality service Delivering high-quality service is necessary in case of food truck which is a special restaurant. In order to deliver effective service, it is necessary to set some benchmarks where the restaurant has to implement some quality management models in its operations(Dale 2015). There exist the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and high-quality service. In the case when high-quality services are delivered to the target market then it contributes a lot in enhancing customer satisfaction level, and in turn, all the desired goals of the enterprise can be accomplished efficiently(Gharakhani et al. 2013). Apart from this, it is a well-known fact that to deal with the issue of competition in the market it is necessary for the restaurant to ensure that its services are of high level regarding food quality and other additional services that are rendered to the target market. Moreover, quality management is regarded as the act of overseeing all the tasks in order to maintain the de sired level of excellence(Gould 2013). In case if the customer satisfaction level is high then in such case food truck has to deliver high quality service to its target market. This is most significant as the level of customer satisfaction depends on quality like in case if high quality food is delivered to the customer then it enhances customer satisfaction level and vice versa. Further, in case of food truck the company has to ensure that its service quality level is up to the mark and in case if food and another type of facilities are delivered efficiently to the target market, then it can surely enhance the overall performance of the food truck in the market where it operates(Fu et al. 2013). Level of customer satisfaction can only be enhanced if service quality is above the expectation level and this, in turn, can surely act as the development tool for the business in every possible manner. It has been witnessed that businesses offering various kind of services measure service quality through different means such as obtaining views of their customers and other techniques that are most effective(Jurow Barnard 2013). Maintaining service quality on the continuous basis and for long period of time can surely manage long-term performance of the company. Description of existing business process The present business process of food truck restaurant is associated with offering the type of food service to the target market. Therefore, the process starts from the purchase of raw material and different type of food items as per the actual need of the target market. Further, it is a well-known fact that each and every process of food truck restaurant is crucial and for enhancing the overall quality of the service, it is mandatory to implement so quality improvement models so that favorable results can be accomplished easily and in a possible manner(Obeidat et al. 2016). Food quality matters a lot and in case if the food truck is not able to deliver high-quality food service to its target market then it will surely lead to the decline in the level of overall performance and in turn business performance will decline significantly. Apart from this, the food truck business has to identify the most crucial business process that involves preparing high-quality food item as per the need of the target market. The truck restaurant has to ensure that the raw materials purchased for preparing different type of food items are of high quality and this, in turn, can surely assist in preparing high-quality food as per the actual requirement of the target market. No doubt, the real customers of food truck expect high-quality food and due to this reason, it is necessary to deliver them high-quality food(Oakland 2014). All the business processes must be flexible so that changes can be made in each process easily and in short period. Food truck restaurant operates on the smaller basis and due to this reason ensuring quality service will not be difficult for the business. Apart from this, the overall process of the business is very small, and this will provide support in implementing quality tools for rendering services to the target market. Quality framework Figure 2: Gap Model of Service quality Source: (Verint Customer Engagement 2009) In order to understand the significance of service quality from the point view of food truck restaurant, the gap model of service quality is quite effective(VERINT 2009). Further, this model helps in knowing about the five types of gaps whose description is as follows: Gap 1: It is the distance between customer expectation and what managers think they expect clearly. For example, the customer expects that the food truck restaurant will deliver fact and accurate services to them whereas the manager of the business perceives that customers are only expecting the best quality of food at convenient prices. Gap 2: It is between the actual specification of the customer experience and the management perception. Managers working in the organization are required to ensure that business is delivering high-level service(Habibah Abdul Talib, Anuar Mohd Ali Idris 2014). For example, the manager at food truck restaurant can carry out customer survey to identify the actual specification of the customers experience and can make changes in existing services according to the information collected from those surveys. Gap 3: From the experience specification to delivery of experience where it is necessary for the managers to audit the customer experience that business is delivering at present. Gap 4: It is the gap between delivering of customer experience and what is being communicated to the target market. The manager at food truck restaurant needs to ensure that there is no gap between services communicated and services delivered to the target market. For example, if the food truck restaurant communicates that its speed of services is very fast then it needs to make sure that fast processing of customer order and delivery is carried out within the restaurant. Gap 5: It is the gap that arises due to customer expectation of service and customer perception. Here, food truck restaurant can adopt customer oriented strategy to fill the gap between customer expectations, customer perception and make these concepts identical to each other. So, these are the main gaps that allow in knowing about the significance of service quality, and through this, it is possible for food truck restaurant to deliver high-quality service to its target market as per their actual expectations. Apart from this, it is necessary to understand the different type of gaps that can take place and the overall alternatives through which these gaps can fulfill(Gimenez-Espin, Jimnez-Jimnez Martnez-Costa 2013). The most important aspect that needs to be ensured is linked with meeting customer expectation, and in case of the food truck, it is possible by purchasing quality raw materials that are effective enough in rendering quality food to the target market as per their expectations. Through this model, it is possible for food truck restaurant to meet with the expectations of its customers in terms of quality and it can surely provide the base in dealing with the market challenges that are associated with competition or another form of barriers. Input output model (ITO) of operations management can be also taken into consideration to enhance the overall operations of the food truck restaurant. Here, the model is highly effective as it will support food truck restaurant to defining and analyze mechanism through which outcomes are generated. It can be expressed that the use of this model will allow food truck restaurant with an opportunity to identify the key issues associated with output and processing of the services. For instance, lack of communication or clear roles and responsibilities can be a major reason which is creating restrictions in terms of delivering satisfactory and fast services to customers (Chaudary, Zafar Salman 2015). Based on the information collected through the model, food truck restaurant can make certain changes in its processes to improve overall quality of service delivery. For example, effective communication tools and techniques can be adopted or democratic leadership style can be adopted by food truck restaurant to make the workers clear about their roles and responsibilities. Opportunities for process improvement Different opportunities are present with food truck restaurant so as to improve its process in the proper manner. Firstly, it is required for the business to ensure that all its process is flexible as through this improvement is possible in every possible manner. Apart from this, quality improvement tactics have to be implemented in each and every process so that it can bring favorable results for the business(Augusto, Lisboa Yasin 2014). The main opportunity is that business is operating on the smaller basis and due to this reason all its processes are small. Therefore, it would be quite easier for the food truck business to render quality service in terms of food and this will allow the business to gain the competitive edge over its rivals in every possible manner. Conclusion From the above carried out study, it can be inferred that delivering high quality of services to customers is essential in terms of achieving long term growth and sustainability. The CEO of food truck restaurant can make certain changes in its existing process and can make it more flexible. For example, the CEO of food truck restaurant can use a flexible business process instead of using a rigid process for service delivery. Apart from this, quality management framework such as Gap Model and Input Output Model can be used by the CEO of food truck restaurant to enhance the quality of services and operations. It can be also inferred that open channels of communication can be used by to encourage the views and opinions of staff members during the process of decision making and strategy formulation. References Augusto, MG, Lisboa, JV Yasin, MM 2014, 'Organisational performance and innovation in the context of a total quality management philosophy: an empirical investigation', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 1141-1155. Barata, J Cunha, PR 2017, 'Synergies between quality management and information systems: a literature review and map for further research', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 282-295. Bon, AT Mustafa, EM 2013, 'Impact of total quality management on innovation in service organizations: Literature review and new conceptual framework', Procedia Engineering, pp. 515-529. Chaudary, S, Zafar, S Salman, M 2015, 'Does total quality management still shine? Re-examining the total quality management effect on financial performance', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 811-824. courses.bus School of Business 2000, The Quality/PDCA Circle, viewed 30 December 2017, https://sites.ualberta.ca/~yreshef/orga432/pdca.html. Dale, B 2015, Total quality management, John Wiley Sons, New jersey. Davis, B, Lockwood, A, Pantelidis, I Alcott, P 2013, Food and beverage management, Routledge, Abingdon. Doeleman, HJ, Ten Have, S Ahaus, CTB 2014, 'Empirical evidence on applying the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model, a literature review', Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 439-460. Fu, SL, Chou, SY, Chen, C,K Wang, CW 2013, 'Assessment and cultivation of total quality management organisational culturean empirical investigation.', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 123-139. Gharakhani, D, Rahmati, H, Farrokhi, MR Farahmandian, A 2013, 'Total quality management and organizational performance', American Journal of Industrial Engineering, pp. 46-50. Gimenez-Espin, JA, Jimnez-Jimnez, D Martnez-Costa, M 2013, ' Organizational culture for total quality management', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 678-692. Gould, WA 2013, Total quality management for the food industries, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Habibah Abdul Talib, H, Anuar Mohd Ali, K Idris, F 2014, 'Critical success factors of quality management practices among SMEs in the food processing industry in Malaysia', Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, pp. 152-176. Jurow, S Barnard, S 2013, Integrating total quality management in a library setting, Routledge, Abingdon. Mohammad Mosadeghrad, A 2014, ' Essentials of total quality management: a meta-analysis', International journal of health care quality assurance, pp. 544-558. Mok, C, Sparks, B Kadampully, J 2013, Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure., Routledge., Abingdon. Oakland, JS 2014, Total quality management and operational excellence: text with cases, Routledge., Abingdon. 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Music Business Essays - Copyright Collection Societies,

Music Business Music Business Exam Number One Question 1. The music publishing industry at a glance would seem to be those who print sheet music, method books, lead sheets, and all of the texts or notated music that musicians (and those aspiring to be musicians) use. Years ago, this was what most music publishers did, but as the industry has evolved the process that become much more complex. Music is not just ink and paper, intellectual material and property to the individual who writes it. Therefore the song does not become a song when it is written down. This is not an easy concept to grasp because the song by itself has no physical makeup. A song could exist once it is played for the first time, and songs can even exist inside the mind of a songwriter. This concept is why the publishing business can be so complex; we are dealing with intellectual property. The heart of the music publishing business lies in the rights to the original music. After the music is successful enough to financially support itself the music is printed in mass quantities in a variety of ways. This could be everything from guitar tabs to choral arrangements for a junior high choir. The publishers main source of income is through record royalties, performance royalties received from companies like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) for performances of music copyrighted by the publisher. These royalties could be from many different types of performances but most are though radio and songs on television. The success of a songwriter lies in the greatly in the hands of his/her publisher. Normally we hear of a bands success when they are signed with a record deal, but most record companies not only produce and promote an album, they also a ct as the publisher who, when contracted, owns the rights to the music. When a publisher own the song it is put in to their catalog. Merchandise retailers have catalogs of their goods just like publishers have a catalog of songs that they own rights to. Publishing firms such as Warner/Chappell, BMG Music, MCA Music, and Sony music have catalogs of many styles of music. These companies are referred to as full-line companies. A broad repertoire allows them to market their music to many audiences. Most of these full-line companys roots can be traced back to the music of Hollywood and the show music of Broadway. Publishers today may have thousands of songwriters in its catalog including all styles of music from around the globe. Representative Warner/Chappell owns, administers, or sub-publishes more that a million copyrights here and abroad. Todays full-line publishers have many different divisions to their company. Large publishers handle virtually every aspect of a writers music, its recordings, distribution, sales, promotion, advertising, touring, and legal affairs. This figure lays out all the divisions a full-line publisher may have. The administration division is the division that handles the operations of the firm. All business affairs go through administration. When money is received from or paid to customers the firm the accounting divisions keeps all the financial records of these kinds of operations. The accounting division also would handle loans given to artist that are signed to the firm under the publishers record label. When a band records an album under a label they become a liability to the label because money has to be spent to record, produce and promote a artists music. Full-line publishers front this money and all profits from the artist come back and are split 50-50 with the publisher and the writer. If the artist maintains the rights to their songs the record contract will include a controlled composition clause that calls for a reduced mechanical royalty paid to the artist by the record label. This clause may reduce the royalty split to 75-25, the larger portion going to the record label. This clause would not be insisted to artists who place the full rights to works in the hands of the record companys publisher. The artist remains a liability to the publisher as long as the artist has not made as much money as