The song “Edelweiss” is from the musical The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. I think it’s one of the most beautiful songs in the show and its message is loyalty, hope, and peace. It was the last song Oscar Hammerstein ever wrote before he died in 1960. Like most “artsy” kids, The Sound […]
Read MoreMichael Jackson is famous for his thrilling dance moves, soaring high notes, and tunes that either won’t allow you to stay seated or will make you cry. Most of his success came as an adult, but he had a legendary singing career as a young child. After his professional debut with the Jackson 5, his […]
Read MoreDr. Ian Levy is a college professor and hip hop emcee. He has received many awards and accolades in recognition for his work with school therapy and counseling through hip hop. Dr. Levy is someone I look up to and admire but he’s also become one of my closest friends. At the beginning of Ian’s […]
Read MoreOne of my favorite movies of all time is the Dream Works animated film Prince of Egypt. It’s a beautiful telling of a famous story but what makes it stand apart from the other movies about Moses, is the music. Stephen Schwartz and Hanz Zimmer really did an incredible job collaborating. Both of their strengths […]
Read MoreGil Evans is one of the greatest jazz orchestrators/composers/arrangers in history. Miles Davis is one of the best jazz arrangers/instrumentalists in history. Put them together and you have some pretty magical music. In the 1950s, Gil and Miles arranged and orchestrated the music of George Gershwin’s famous opera Porgy and Bess for full jazz orchestra. […]
Read MoreThe song “Lingus” by the group Snarky Puppy has been recorded by the group many times, but my favorite take is from their ninth album We Like it Here.
Read MoreOne of my favorite things to do is musical education outreach. I love that I can go into schools and help children learn about incredibly important lessons via music. I often bring in a special song the character of Harlequin in the opera Ariadne auf Naxos sings to the title character. The song has an incredible amount of wisdom, truth, musicality, and beauty in only a minute and 30 seconds.
Read MoreGrowing up, I was fascinated with the Grammy winning a cappella group “Take 6”. A group of six young black men singing about the power of goodness and Love was an incredible thing for me to look up to.
Read MoreThe song “Familiarity” by the Punch Brothers spoke to me on a special level when I first heard it a few years ago. It sort of redefined what I expected from popular music. The fact that there are so many musical styles and is set up in a form you usually only hear in classical music, I was completely shocked to hear this on the radio.
Read MoreLizst’s “Vallée d’Obermann” is my favorite piece of music ever written. I fell in love with it as a child, but resonated more with it as I got older and experienced the challenges of life. Before I knew anything about the piece, what I loved most about it, was that it didn’t seem like a form of escapism.
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