From the monthly archives:

March 2010

NPR’s 50 Great Voices – a Fascinating Way to Discover New Music

March 31, 2010

NPR’s 50 Great Voices series explores 50 of the world’s greatest voices in recorded history. This list was of great interest to me because I’ve become a bit of a voice connoisseur. I’ve been doing an occasional series of my own on outstanding voices, so if you’re interested in knowing who I’ve written about so [...]

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Korn Joins The Roadrunner Records Family

March 30, 2010

Roadrunner Records is on a role lately having signed some of the best metal acts to its roster. Announced this morning, the multi-platinum, genre-defining hard rock band Korn has officially signed to the label.  Korn is with good company since Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Opeth, Ratt and more are also members of the Roadrunner Records [...]

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Album Review – Reinventing Guitar, Performed by Smaro Gregoriadou

March 30, 2010

Thanks to Delos Music for sending this album for me to review.  All images included in this post are from the CD booklet and are used with permission. When I first received Reinventing Guitar: New Perspectives In Guitar Sound (2009), I wasn’t sure what to think.  I flipped to the back of the CD and [...]

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Violinist Plays through His Own Brain Surgery

March 29, 2010

I saw a fascinating news story on Good Morning America several weeks ago about Minnesota Orchestra Concertmaster Roger Frisch. Back in 2009, Frisch was diagnosed with essential tremors, which is a condition that occurs when sections of the brain that control movement start sending abnormal signals. The condition most often affects hand movements. In Frisch’s [...]

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Serj Tankian Talks about Elect The Dead Symphony

March 28, 2010

Metal bands using a symphony orchestra to support their music is nothing new.  Queensryche used on one in their 1990’s hit “Silent Lucidity”, Metallica performed with the San Francisco Smyphony for S&M , and Dream Theater used an orchestra on their live album, Score. The difference with the above examples and the recent release of [...]

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Chicago Public Schools Eliminate Sophomore Sports While Considering Preschool Cutbacks and Four Day School Week – What Are They Thinking?

March 26, 2010

Regular readers of this blog know that we mostly write about music related topics. You may also know that I am a Suzuki violin teacher. I’ve been hearing news lately that, although unrelated to music education, has deeply concerned me as an educator. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is making many decisions which will hit [...]

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Guitar Jam Heaven: Rodrigo y Gabriela Jam With Alex Skolnick

March 26, 2010

A fan captured video of a live performance Rodrigo y Gabriela performing with Alex Skolnick.  The duo is currently tour supporting their 2009 release, 11:11. The more I see video of the Mexican duo performing, the more I want to see them live. Skolnick joined the duo for the song, “Atman”, which features Alex Skolnick on [...]

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The Connection US Soldiers Have With Music in Iraq

March 25, 2010

“You have to become inhuman to do inhuman things” ~ US Soldier This is a quote from an US Soldier who fought in Iraq that captured my attention during the beginning of a presentation and discussion about the connection between music and the Iraq war.   War causes people to do horrible things.  Soldiers find ways [...]

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I Surprised Myself by Liking Serena Ryder, Plus Her Tour Info

March 24, 2010

I’ll be the first to admit, I am not usually the singer-songwriter type.  It isn’t that I have anything against singer-songwriters.  Most do not write music that captures my attention.  I don’t mind the likes of John Mayer or Dave Matthew Band.  I can even tolerate some Alanis Morrisette.   If you are a regular reader, [...]

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A Little About Kertsopoulos Æsthetics For Guitar

March 23, 2010

The aural aesthetics of today’s instruments has evolved over time.  Pick your favorite instrument and I guarantee that what it sounds like today is different from even 30 years ago.  Musicians and instrument makers constantly find new ways to improve upon existing instruments.  Whether it is exploring how to improve the construction of an instrument [...]

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