Jacques Offenbach

This is as much a story of the parodied as of the parodists. One cannot discuss one without the other. So fear not, Lady Gaga fans, we shall get to the object of your devotion in due time. But we will start, somewhat arbitrarily, a century and a half ago, in Paris. Jacques Offenbach was the great parodist to emerge from that time and place.

One fine example of his work in this field, his development of the form of an … Continue Reading

The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)

There are a lot of people that can’t wait for the new upcoming Doctor Who series which is believed to be aired in about a month on August 25. In the first new upcoming episode it also seems like that the Daleks are gonna cause more trouble again since the title of the first new episode is revealed and called ‘Asylum of the Daleks‘.

As a great Doctor Who & Torchwood fan myself i came across a … Continue Reading

The Green Freak

I should say at the start that the headline of this post isn’t especially original. Mark Parisi, of the “Off the Mark” cartoons, drew a courtroom scene in which Santa Claus tells a judge that “this green freak” (the ‘Jolly Green Giant’ of vegetable-sales fame, pictured above) has ripped off Santa’s signature phrase.

And so it goes.

In 2005, Coldplay’s singer, Chris Martin, told a magazine interviewer, “We’re definitely good, but I don’t think you can say we’re that original. I … Continue Reading

The United States was at war with itself 150 years ago

The United States was at war with itself 150 years ago.

As the US commemorates the somber landmarks of the Civil War, its citizens might want to give some thought, too, to the music it occasioned: the music the fighting men marched to, or that which simply portioned off their daily routine.

John Brown’s Body comes to mind at once of course. Here is a link to Pete Seegar’s … Continue Reading

Mao's Last Dancer

Mao’s Last Dancer, the highest-grossing Australian movie of 2009, is a story about a Chinese ballet dancer who comes to America, and then refuses to return to his homeland. It was based on a memoir by the dancer in question, Li Cunxin.

Cunxin’s book has been very successful in itself: it has been published and marketed in more than 20 countries, and won the Christopher Award, an annual prize for works of art that “affirm the highest values of the human … Continue Reading

Madonna and the Super Bowl Halftime Show

The above cartoon was circulating around Facebook on the morning of the Superbowl.

As you can see, the cartoonist is playing on one of Madonna’s several personae in advance of the Super Bowl, the championship of what the United States calls “football” and what the rest of the world calls “American football,” (because it clearly isn’t soccer!), a central event on the pop-cultural calendar.

Before we, the viewers, got to the halftime … Continue Reading

Are you lacking the “umph” needed to bring your instrument practice sessions to the next level? You’re not alone: all musicians reach that point in time. It’s important to change things up when you hit a roadblock, and there are a few ways to do that. One of the best ways is to add a metronome into your music training periods to help you make quick gains in your speed and accuracy. In this article, we have reviewed several metronomes on the market right now and determined which one we feel is the best metronome available.   

… Continue Reading

William H. Bonney

In 1938, the American frontier got its very own ballet.

After a long period of what seems in hindsight apprentice work, Aaron Copland achieved Master status in the American musical canon in 1938, with a ballet commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein, and named for the western gun-slinger William H. Bonney, or Billy the Kid.

In the world of orchestral music, “Billy the Kid” was America’s “Declaration of Independence.” Copland, composing for the choreography of Eugene Loring, broke away … Continue Reading

From It to Stranger Things, the modern day love for the 1980s is certainly real. And who could blame us?

The 1980s, for many, is reminiscent of a simpler time. A time when you could ride your bike with your friends around the neighborhood, and you just might stumble across some adventure.

Where films were about kids helping aliens phone home or adventurers brave the Temple of Doom. However, where the real nostalgia lies for many is in the music.

Synthesizers and big hair dominated the top charts of 1980s pop music. Sandwiched … Continue Reading

Source: Pixabay

If you don’t have space or the money for a traditional grand piano, then you may consider a digital piano instead. It can be tough to find a digital piano that sounds great, has a wonderful range of uses, and comes at an affordable price. Here, we take a look at the Kawai CE220 Digital Home Piano and how it stacks up against the competition.

What Is the Kawai CE220 Digital Home Piano?… Continue Reading