I am trying to learn Android programming and no better way to do so than trying to develop an application. I am looking to create an Android app for my band. Our website is hosted using the Joomla CMS. What would be the best way for me to get data that is stored in the MySQL database so that I may use it in my app? Initially I was thinking that the app could show recent band news, lyrics to songs, pictures, ability to purchase songs through AmazonMp3 and other features. I'm not familiar with web services but it seems like a lot of people use web services to do this. Keep in mind that my current Joomla installation is hosted on Linux and not Windows, although I supposed I could always switch it to Windows at GoDaddy. Any opinions on a recommended solution would be appreciated.

Android uses SQLite as it's database, so would be good for you to take an image of your current website SQL and convert this to SQLite for you to work with:
http://www.sqlite.org/cvstrac/wiki?p=ConverterTools

I don't quite understand. Wouldn't that mean that everytime I update our website I would need to update the Android app? How is the Android app updated?

Yeah if you want to keep them upto date. You update it the same way you upload it the first time, through the app Market.

If you don't want to update it everytime, you could right a webservice to update the app but your just getting more complicated as you go.

I'm new to Android app development, but have been a software and website developer for a number of years. I know the Joomla CMS very well, and for pretty much everything you have said I think you are looking at a simple RSS reader, so for Band News you would set the RSS feed to the news category, etc.
The only thing I am not entirely sure of right now would be buying the songs, but that wouldn't necessarily have to be done through Joomla if they are on Amazon.

Good luck.