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.
Things You Should Know Before Your First Rave
Going to your first rave can be a life-changing experience that makes you question everything you know about life. It can help you learn about new music, meet new friends, and even change the way you see yourself.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy9 years ago in Beat
Broken Record Part 2
In the previous article, I talked about how a lack of choice in music was as big of a problem as piracy. The lack of consumer confidence is palpable. People used to love music and be extremely passionate, now people often complain they “hate all the new music they hear”. It wasn’t uncommon to hear seniors talk that way about their grand children's music, but these days the seniors with these opinions are high school seniors.
By Brett Hogan9 years ago in Beat
Can Your Baby Really Hear the Music You Play?
It has long been stated among many individuals that babies can hear music in the womb, and that, by hearing certain music, they can develop faster or even better than babies that do not have the privilege of listening to Mozart.
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Beat
Bailey Bryan Doesn't "Own It"
"Own It," debut by 18-year old Washingtonian, Bailey Bryan is another blatant attempt to promote and appeal bad pop music as country to oblivious suburban teenagers throwing a tantrum. And no it's not a cover of Drake's 2013 song with the same title. Even though the song - according to press releases - is supposed to have a positive message, it does not. It advocates to not listen to everybody else (even parents?) and transmits the typical feeling of youth today, that everybody owes them, that they are entitled and that life is gonna be a breeze. Well, hello real world!
By A. Michael Uhlmann9 years ago in Beat
Broken Record Part 1
As you know, album sales for the mainstream music industry peaked in 1995-1999. The decline since has been epic. This has been largely blamed on piracy and a transition to digital media, but is this decline more about a lack of consumer confidence? The music industry has set the bar in heavy-handed marketing, corporate oligarchies, and cheaping out every time they get the chance. Record companies are a caricature of overreaching big business. The public's perception of this industry was always poor; it could be considered sleazy at best. Now it’s completely isolated, soulless and outrightly despised across the board. Millennials are consumed by music and media yet at the same time not buying it. What’s different? One of the biggest barriers may be the lack of real choices.
By Brett Hogan9 years ago in Beat
Let Life Flow, Like Mozart
Dear Readers: When we talk about our future or our past, we can easily notice that we get caught up with all sorts of feelings — we dwell in the worry for our future or the lament for our past. Living in the intense demand of productivity and keeping up with the social-media-cramped society could be stressful and lonely. Our present moments are often compensated by the feelings we have for the future and the past, what about now? What do you think to create you feelings for your “now"?
By Charlotte Chan9 years ago in Beat
The Meetles Can't Be Beat in the NYC Subway System
A lot of times just the thought of descending into the subway can compound the complexities of living in New York City. But not even the spirit of the most hardened New Yorker can be sunk as the sounds of live Beatle's music rises to greet them every Friday and Saturday night at the Times Square and Herald Square Subways.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Beat
Classic Rock From The Kinks Provided the Guidance I Needed To Get Through
In 1978, my brother came home with Misfits by a classic rock band known as the Kinks. I didn’t understand the retched look rock stars took on at the time to stick it to the man, but fortunately I had no control of the stereo. This, because Ray Davies would make a career of writing songs about me. I simply got to survive.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Beat
How Playlists Are Influencing the Future of Music
We rarely experience music as a single song. Popular music has always been shared in lists of some kind, whether it be in memorized performances, concerts, albums, radio selections, or sets selected by DJs. With the advent of new music technologies, more people have instant access to music and want to find more all the time. Playlists have become central to the way these users listen to and discover new music, and the element of curation remains, just in a different form. As technologies like Spotify become the norm, this curation has moved to playlists. While many playlists are still selected and promoted by celebrities and music experts, the beautiful thing is that the curation is now often in the hands of the listeners themselves. These lists have taken the form of albums, concerts, radio selections, and sets selected by DJs. Songs have always been arranged into playlists of sorts. Whether it be albums, performances, or radio selections, curation has always been an important part of making music popular, and popular music culture. But with the advent of new technologies like Spotify and Google Play Music, listening to full albums and performances seems to be taking a backseat to listening to playlists. The major difference is that now these playlists are often in the hands of users or the technology-owners themselves.
By Adam Quinn9 years ago in Beat
