United States

Smithsonian Folkways to release historical recordings of New Orleans music – Free Download Available

July 26, 2010

Historically, New Orleans is one of the musical meccas of the U.S. The cultural melting pot that has persisted within New Orleans has created some of the influential music in history. Jazz, zydeco, blues, and more have all emerged or had a deep influence on the different musical styles. Smithsonian Folkways is releasing a new [...]

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Shakira Thinks Arizona Law Violates Latino’s Civil Rights and Remembering Operation Wetback

April 30, 2010

In the past week, the world, in a unified voice, has sent a clear message to the state of Arizona – the new immigration law is unacceptable. As a Latino who grew up along the Texas border, I am fully aware of the problems with kidnapping, illegal drug smuggling, and murder from the Mexican side. [...]

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New Education Reform Bill Weak On Arts

March 22, 2010

Last week, the Obama administration sent a plan to reform education in the US to Congress. In cased you’ve been lost in a cave or something, the country is just recovering from healthcare reform after it passed last night. Now, we have to brace ourselves for another major congressional fight? I hope not. However, I [...]

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YouTube Seeking Musicians

March 18, 2010

YouTube recently unveiled its new music partnership program at SXSW. YouTube has helped launch a few music careers over the years. Now, if you are a musician or are in a band with access to a camera, then you just might qualify for the program. YouTube has created a dedicated channel, YouTube.com/musicianswanted. As of right [...]

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Iron Maiden and Dream Theater To Tour Together This Summer In The US

March 4, 2010

That’s right ladies and gents, this is the real deal. Starting on June 9, Dream Theater will be the opening act for Iron Maiden. Furthermore, Dream Theater will finally have the chance to perform at Madison Square Garden. In the long history of the band, Dream Theater has never performed at the venue. I can’t [...]

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Haunted Opera Houses and Theaters

October 30, 2009

In the spirit of Halloween (pun intended), I thought I would write about some haunted opera houses and theaters across the country. I first started thinking about this a couple weeks ago, when I was watching Ghost Hunters on SyFy. They did an investigation of the Congress Theater, here in Chicago. I went to a [...]

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What Does Healthcare Reform Mean to Musicians: Part II – The Current Landscape

October 3, 2009

In the first part of this series, I provided my perspective along with some key considerations all musicians need to accept. The more I research this subject, the more I realize I am not alone. I found story after story with a recurring theme: musicians either consider healthcare as a luxury because the high costs, [...]

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US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Speaks about Arts in the Schools

September 21, 2009

I’m a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM). In the September 2009 issue of the AFM’s journal, International Musician, there was a wonderful article about Secretary Duncan’s speech at a SupportMusic Coalition teleconference hosted by NAMM (the association of the international music products industry). According to [...]

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Ted Nugent Off His Rocker, Healthcare Reform and the Ongoing Debate

July 26, 2009

Music and politics are often intertwined. While many musicians are liberal minded, there are a few, like Ted Nugent, who are conservatively minded. Nugent happens to fall further on the right than even the typical right winger. By reading the following passages like from an interview with Spinner, you know just how far to the [...]

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Brief Reflections About The Election

November 5, 2008

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Tonight marks a moment in history that heals the deep emotional scars that have plagued this nation for centuries. Tonight is perhaps the greatest achievement of the US. Not to lesson other great moments of this great nation of ours, but tonight carries a uniqueness about it. The passion [...]