All songs from this week’s “Song of the Day” come from women of color performing at COLORSXSTUDIOS. COLORSXSTUDIOS is a unique aesthetic music platform showcasing exceptional talent from around the globe. COLORS focuses on the most distinctive new artists and original sounds in an increasingly fragmented and saturated scene. All COLORS shows seek to provide clear, […]
Read MorePianist and vocal coach Joseph Li answers our questions on his most frequent advice to young singers, how he repairs cracked nails, why you won’t find him on Facebook, and more. Hear Joseph perform with NYFOS in Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do: Songs of Gay Harlem on December 12. Can you tell us a […]
Read MoreThe 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 MoreKurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein may not have been bosom buddies, yet their art was so intertwined as to make them indispensable to one another. Weill’s musical tropes are at the heart of Blitzstein’s “The Nickel Under the Foot,” the song that launched his breakout musical The Cradle Will Rock. And when Cradle opened in […]
Read MoreTo finish out my week of songs, I wanted to offer an early holiday treat. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore the Christmas season and adore Christmas music. I have playlists, albums and favorites in each style. And I probably listen to it a little earlier than I should. During one Christmas season […]
Read MoreDespite many of his compositions having Christian themes, Benjamin Britten had an ambivalent view of the religion. His partner Peter Pears recalled that when they met, he’s not sure if Britten would consider himself a Christian. Later in life, Britten himself would describe himself as a dedicated Christian, but would also be sympathetic to certain […]
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