humanity
Humanity topics include pieces on the real lives of music professionals, amateurs, inspiring students, celebrities, lifestyle influencers, and general feel good human stories in the music sphere.
Dark Triad
Introduction Each video is a song which you can listen to for free. All of these songs can also be found on any streaming service, so if you like them, please add them to your playlist! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my commentaries on the music and listening to the music that inspired the commentaries!
By C. Rommial Butler4 years ago in Beat
Fifteen Minutes
I’ve always been considered an outsider – or “oddball”, “misfit”, “weirdo” – any of those nouns cover the idea. I was the quintessential quiet kid who didn’t play sports, didn’t consider myself “book-smart”, and throw in a fusion of stuttering-social awkwardness you can see why the “outsider” label stuck. It’s no surprise I would always get lost in my head, daydreaming about anything that would come to mind. That would include music wither it be from the radio, a TV show or a movie, a melody or chorus would always creep its way across my brain. And somehow in the weird and often serendipity journey of life I found myself saying the words: “Maybe I can be a musician.” Thus began my life as an artist and over a decade later it’s gone the obvious route you’d expect; lot of failure and losses with sprinkles of personal success here and there. Many EPs in which only three to five people listened to and projects that never came to fruition, but like the influences before me just licked the wounds and kept moving forward. After sometime though some of those hits get to you and combine with phrases of doubt like “Do you think this is worth it?” and “Do you really expect to make money off this one?”; it leads to that low-point feeling where you question if everything was worth it. But of course, I keep going, out of what I don’t know. Maybe it was a gnawing feeling saying “don’t you dare stop!” or maybe it’s just because I’m stubborn (guess you add that to the “outsider” title as well). In any case I continue my work which includes sending emails to promotors in the hope to land live shows and in September of 2021 (at this point live music venues have returned to running shows with updated operations), I received an offer to perform as an opening act on a three-act bill. I accepted the offer and of course took the preparation seriously in the hopes of having a good show; that included planning on a thirty-minute set and trying to get myself into the right headspace. In the time that I’ve been playing I’ve only barely managed to land official paying gigs so when I do get these opportunities, I attempt to give it 100% my all and block out all doubt the best I can. The day of the show (October 2nd, 2021) finally comes and on one hand I feel like I’m ready but on the other hand, I feel like this will be another run of the mill failure. I try to keep my focus though for as far as I’m concerned, I’m performing first and setting the tone for the evening. That quickly changes though as I’m soon informed by the promotor that one of the bands has to leave early and due to the reshuffling, I’ve been thrust into the headlining slot; my thirty-minutes has been extended to a forty-five-minutes. Safe to say this throws me for a loop and of course the initial reaction is panic, but I stop myself to take a breather and think.
By Shadow Lite4 years ago in Beat
My First Post-Pandemic Gig Got Cancelled and It Wasn't Even Covid. Top Story - December 2021.
When I was a child my parents took me to gigs. Maybe not the coolest ones because they had parent taste, but real shows. Asleep at the Wheel, Patty Loveless, the Chieftains. Later on they even drove me and my sister to other states to see certain boy bands that I’m not ready to name. We curled our hair, we waved, we shrieked. It was freaking glorious.
By Giovanna Jakes4 years ago in Beat
Music Blends
What genre do you play? What genre do you write? What genre do you produce? I've responded to these questions hundreds of times: article questioners, interviews, written bios, song submittals, performance rights organizations, copyright forms, fan email; the list goes on, I know. What am I thankful for in all this? Drop down boxes and multiple-choice questions. Tech options and AI have their place.
By Chuck Sadosky4 years ago in Beat
What effect does music have on people?
It is said that when you listen to music, you do not have time to think about anything else. You only focus on what you hear, which is why people are able to remember a song so quickly. In other countries there are specialized centers for music therapy, with professionals who have pursued university studies in this regard.
By MicutulMic4 years ago in Beat
How One of the Most Iconic Rock Musicians Connected to a Young Autistic Woman in the 21st Century
I remember 10 years ago when people were commermorating what would’ve been his 70th birthday, complete with a little Google Doodle where the “70” blended into his self-portrait doodle. While it took me a while, I eventually saw what the big fuss was all about. After all, my mother had exposed me to the Beatles’ music as a child, if mainly through “Kids’ Versions” of the Beatles.
By Jennifer Rose4 years ago in Beat
Hear My Song!
I can't remember when I first began singing, but one of the earliest memories I have is around 10 years old. I was sick and off school, one of those days where the grown-ups go to work and leave you to your devices. Of course however ill you actually are, you seem to perk up as soon as school starts. With a whole day to fill, music became my port of call.
By Rob Taylor4 years ago in Beat
What Happens To Our Brain When We Listen To Music
Music has been ubiquitous in human society since ancient times. A binder of interpersonal relationships and an instrument of knowledge and discovery of the nature of the individual, music is probably the truest ambassador of human life, encompassing all aspects of the existence of a relatively young species.
By James Heavystorm4 years ago in Beat
10 Effects Of Music On The Brain
Music can improve verbal IQ, be a help in treating heart disease, evoke colors in the mind, and even help you see happy faces around you. Every music fan knows what amazing power music can have over both thoughts and emotions. Good music can turn an ordinary day into something magical, even spiritual.
By James Heavystorm4 years ago in Beat
My Big Dream
If you have been following me here for any amount of time, you already know I am a creative person. Whether that be through music, fiction writing or true life stories, this is me. I thank you for all of your support from the heart. Since Covid started, I have been struggling a bit with my life’s path.
By Tim Ellerbe II4 years ago in Beat
Psilocybin and Music - Opening Up a New World to Healing
Psilocybin, or ‘magic mushrooms’ are still being considered a Class A drug in the U.K and completely illegal in many countries, despite being a fungi which grows naturally. The polarised view of the psychedelic is interesting; in the U.K you can be imprisoned for selling the mushrooms found growing in many parts of the country, and yet in South American countries such as Peru and Brazil, and Central American countries such as Costa Rica, plant medicines including Psilocybin and Ayahuasca are being used more widely than ever, in spiritual healing ceremonies. Psychedelics have been used by indigenous people for centuries as part of their culture but since the hippie movement of the 60s and 70s, they have been stigmatised in the West.
By Milla Thomas4 years ago in Beat
