In the United States, people go crazy for Christmas. Or, better said, retail chains and grocery stores go crazy. Totally out of their heads. I mean, they start selling Christmas merchandise months in advance. Like BEFORE Halloween! Seriously—what is up with that? I like the holidays as much as the next guy, I suppose. But,

Good news … the world is still full of really good (new) music. Yep, I found out this week as I was driving in my car. Flipping through the radio stations, I didn’t have high hopes. After all, the airwaves are often a musical wasteland. But, just for kicks, I turned to a new station

Without a doubt, repetition is important. It’s a natural way to take a short musical idea and turn it into something bigger and bolder. Which is why musicians use repeat symbols a lot. In fact, beyond the simple repeat sign, you’ll also sometimes see other markers that have their own special meanings. The three most popular

Whenever I drive down the road, there are all sorts of signs reminding people to be safe and courteous. Some signs caution you to stay alert … others warn of drunk driving … and others tell you to stay “buckled up.” But there’s one sign I’ve never seen when I’m behind the wheel. And I

Of all the Disney Pixar movies, what do you think is the best one? A lot of people would say “Toy Story,” while others would say “Cars.” And I’d have to agree that these films are pretty great. I mean, it’s like Pixar has the Midas touch—because nearly every one of their projects is pure

!!!WARNING!!! Okay, okay, I know. As an artist, you’re probably anxious to cut to the chase. You might be thinking, “let’s put our skills to use, and start making some music already.” And to be honest, I’m right there with you. But have patience, my child. These next couple of lessons focus a bit more

Today’s pop quiz is a fun one, y’all. Can you name this face? It might be kind of hard to guess, actually. So here are a couple of clues: 1) This man is one of the most famous impresarios (music industry managers) of all time 2) He managed several very popular boy band groups 3)

For all you ladies out there, if you had to choose a rock-and-roll name for yourself, which one would you pick? The radio is full of songs, tributes, ballads, and odes to special women. So there are plenty of options for you. Some of them are edgy … like “Roxanne” (by The Police). While others

Some people say Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the greatest composer of all time. And I’m tempted to agree, when I think of catchy melodies like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” But it turns out that he might not deserve all the credit. Because history shows he sometimes got a little help … from his pet bird.