Harry Styles’ album came out at midnight today! (I never use exclamation points; can you sense my excitement?) Honestly, after listening to it for the first time, I can honestly say that there’s nothing in the world that I love more than this album right now.

When I was growing up, productivity was never really an action that I could do well. Maybe it's due to the constant distractions of being Young, but ever since I started college productivity, (unless I was super into the topic) was just painful. The ability to focus on something that wasn't about my everyday life caused me a lot of frustration and it lost my interest in a matter second; it wasn't until I started to study at a university when my productivity increased. What changed? Nothing Really, except for the music I was listening to while studying. I didn't change the times I studied; I didn't change the length of studying I didn't even change the amount of caffeine or coffee I would drink. No, I traded the music. In my second semester at San Francisco State University, I took a class called the music of John Coltrane.

For Dvwn, music is all about passion: "I hope I don’t lose my initial passion for music. For me, that seems to be the most important ambition of all. Instead of being influenced by money or being swayed by popularity, I want to pursue my initial passion,” the singer says when quizzed about his ambitions under the KOZ (King of Zungle) Entertainment banner. And, with recent contributions involving working on songs such as Eric Nam's "Love Yourself" and Lay's "Mapo Tofu," it's plain to see that Dvwn's passion for this art form has allowed him to be as versatile as he is talented. Borrowing from a wide array of soundscapes, the former SoundCloud artist allows himself to seamlessly weave genres together perfectly, allowing for a more modern, inclusive musical outlook.

After attending my first Creators Live event on the 29th of Nov 2019 I realized that Creators Live has become one of the fastest growing networking platforms for all creatives in South Africa; and dare I say the rest of Africa and soon the world. Creators Live has become the evidence of success in an industry that fails to recognize its young and upcoming artists and creatives, as South Africa has a difficulty in accepting and adapting to the new world of entertainment and creativity.

1. A song you like with the color in it.

Hi all!

We’re back! Here's a brand new playlist featuring the songs and artists you loved in November. We’ve got a bit of everything in this edition of To the Beat, from lo-fi indie jams to pop hits and everything in between. This month’s roundup features an impressive array of genres, artists, and styles, so thanks for sharing your unique sound with us! Give the playlist a listen before you start exclusively listening to Christmas music; we promise it’s worth it! Whether you feel like jamming out to an old favorite or you’re in the mood to discover something new, we’ve got you covered.

It’s that time of the year again. Where we sip pumpkin spice lattes and watch the leaves change colors. Frozen turkeys and pumpkin pies slowly make their way into our grocery stores and our mouths water in anticipation for the big day.

I first heard Shakira in 1995 while accompanying my mother as she ran some errands. Sitting in the backseat of the car, I took interest in a song which began to play on the radio. The musical style of the song was familiar; similar to the songstress aesthetic of the 90's crafted by artists such as Joan Osborne, Alanis Morissette, and Jewel. However, the voice was not familiar whatsoever. What was more surprising is that she was singing in Spanish.

2019 was another year for music. There is been so much good and bad projects overall. Even though the year isn’t technically over, 2019 has had some great albums. Different artists this year I think tried to expand more than fans what were used to hearing and tried experimenting. It worked for some artists and didn’t work for others as well. On the other hand, many artists created projects that I personally enjoyed. Some can agree that these were albums to highlight the year.

On the 26th of July I released my track "Take It Back." It hit several big Spotify Editorial Playlists and racked up 100,000 streams in the first two weeks.

Harry Styles’ album came out at midnight today! (I never use exclamation points; can you sense my excitement?) Honestly, after listening to it for the first time, I can honestly say that there’s nothing in the world that I love more than this album right now.

Within the last few months, I did a series of Yes studio album reviews as a way to commemorate their discography turning 50 years old. The last studio album review was Heaven & Earth, but then a week later, on October 25th, there was a surprise announcement. Now available via Burning Shed was From a Page, a collection of studio tracks worked on by Yes in 2010. At the time, the lineup consisted of Benoît David (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Oliver Wakeman (keys), and Alan White (drums).

Despite their many accolades over the years, The Who occupy a somewhat curious place in the rock and roll realm. There is no doubt that at least three of their albums (Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia) are among the best rock and roll albums of all time, or that songs like "Pinball Wizard," "Won't Get Fooled Again," and "My Generation" are indisputable classics, or that guitarist Pete Townshend is one of rock's most revolutionary players and songwriters, and vocalist Roger Daltrey one of its most powerful singers.

Music keeps a vital role in our daily life. If you begin to count how many hours you have listened to music in a year, it is sure that you will be surprised. Music benefits our lives. Maybe we think that music gives us delight. But, music actually helps more than we think.

I am ICT-Makavenna, a young Hispanic female rapper doing experimental and inspirational music, and I host my music on SoundCloud at the moment. Interesting tidbit about me: I am part Salvadorian, part Mexican, and part German. I began really making music last summer when I was 13 years old. The first song I recorded was called "I’m Real." It was about me being real, but surrounded by so many fake people. It was about some issues I dealt with in middle school. After a year, I believe I am growing slowly with my music and my fan base. The type of music that I am working on at the moment I call experimental hip hop, inspiration rap. Of course, I make music that is fun and that I enjoy. But I am moved by so many songs and genres from so many different times in the history of music. I am inspired to make music that relates to society, that motivate my generation, and that give a point of view from a young teen Hispanic female growing up in America, including the struggles, trails and positive changes, achievements and influences.

The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), originally called the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) first began on a rooftop on April 11, 1938. It started with 26 men, and eventually grew to a society of thousands spreading across the globe. Since the start of SPEBSQSA, the Society has been male driven. And not just male driven, but white male driven.

Remember when the Sunday paper would print that week’s top Billboard songs and albums? This may still go on; my encounters with physical newspapers are now confined to hotel stays, and even then, I’m not invested in reading them. I flip through because it feels anachronistic.

Andy Keir of the Katonah band - The Disappointments - has always had an interest in the bass guitar. That doesn't mean in the pursuit of that interest he ever owned one or any other musical instrument. So about six years ago, he traded in the air guitar strings on his tennis racquet for an actual bass. Its calling, though, still did not arrive until several of his Mahopac High School buddies found themselves faced with the disappointment of midlife and started a band. "They had two guitars, a singer and they needed a bass," Keir said. So his friends told him he had to learn to play the thing, and today 40 (or 45), never sounded so good.

It’s not often a band has staying power for over 40 years. It’s even rarer for them to maintain roots in the area they started. Cheap Trick is one of those unusual groups that remains faithful to its history.

Jeane Marie is an entertainer, actress, singer, and model of Lebanese/Brazilian descent. Standing at 5’11", Jeane Marie knows what it is to stand tall and be a beacon of empowerment and confidence for woman alike. At the age of 14, she became an outspoken advocate for women's empowerment and self-love, authoring the book Footsteps to Confidence. Jeane Marie has used her fluency in English, Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish to spread the power of self-esteem for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Girl Scouts all over the US, and at-risk girls in a Miami prison-reform program. Jeane’s music is catchy, uplifting, and extremely successful. Take one listen and you’ll see why!

Lady Gaga. A name and a title at once, and two words that are probably synonymous with “meat dress”. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the infamous red-carpet dress and all its meaty glory in an essay about Lady Gaga, so I thought it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible. Though I have no doubt that Gaga’s fashion moments could constitute an entire essay alone, it will not be this one. Strip away the stage name, 11 inch Alexander McQueen heels and the oversized diamond encrusted sunglasses, and you’re left with Stefani Germanotta, a 5’2” Italian woman and creative juggernaut who ra-ra-ra-ed her way into the public consciousness, and my heart.

After attending my first Creators Live event on the 29th of Nov 2019 I realized that Creators Live has become one of the fastest growing networking platforms for all creatives in South Africa; and dare I say the rest of Africa and soon the world. Creators Live has become the evidence of success in an industry that fails to recognize its young and upcoming artists and creatives, as South Africa has a difficulty in accepting and adapting to the new world of entertainment and creativity.

When I was six years old, whilst most people my age were listening to Disney, I was listening to, you guessed it, Dido. Her 2003 Life for Rent album was the soundtrack to my childhood, and still stands as prominent in my life today.

The Rose aren’t exactly new to touring. Despite only officially debuting just over two years ago, (with another two years of prior experience busking on the streets of Busan), the foursome have toured across the globe twice, entertaining and embracing audiences everywhere from their home country of Korea to cities around the world, such as the energetic and benchmark-setting London. Throughout their short journey, the band has managed to forge a strong and passionate fanbase despite the absence of a full-length record; and with a refined and quality-assured show guaranteed whenever they step foot on stage, it’s hardly as if this passion will die-down anytime soon.

INTRO:

Jay-Z and Beyoncé (THE CARTERS) handled their number two slot on the Billboard 200 chart last year with their release, EverythingisLove (2018) with grace. Nicki Minaj launched into a temper tantrum when her fourth studio album Queen (2018) failed to make the number one spot, and so did DJ Khaled. Arguably the most annoying voice in hip hop, the DJ and producer recorded a video expressing his distaste for “mysterious sh–t.” By coming in the top ten, one would think that a recording artist would be satisfied with their own efforts. Regardless of whether the listening individuals actually stream or buy the physical copies of Khaled’s work, he should be proud that he organized so many voices to make a solid album.

Since today most of the work is done using a computer, music is a good way to diversify routine work. But the question remains the same: can music affect our productivity?

When I was growing up, productivity was never really an action that I could do well. Maybe it's due to the constant distractions of being Young, but ever since I started college productivity, (unless I was super into the topic) was just painful. The ability to focus on something that wasn't about my everyday life caused me a lot of frustration and it lost my interest in a matter second; it wasn't until I started to study at a university when my productivity increased. What changed? Nothing Really, except for the music I was listening to while studying. I didn't change the times I studied; I didn't change the length of studying I didn't even change the amount of caffeine or coffee I would drink. No, I traded the music. In my second semester at San Francisco State University, I took a class called the music of John Coltrane.

Funny story: I originally wasn't even going to write about this until it crossed my mind just the other day. I don't know why, but I randomly wondered about what happened to Kidz Bop since, like, 2007, which is the last time I can recall ever seeing a commercial about the songs they covered.

Rising talent Trevor Knight gives hope that real men with manners still exist. In his new single "Not That Kind of Guy", he highlights his personality and how he has respect for anyone he dates by taking it at a good pace and not rushing into anything. It is refreshing to hear a song from a male perspective that is so authentic. As a listener, it makes you want to know this artist story and personality even more.

For most people (well, most mainstream white people, anyway), twerking seems like a random dance craze that exploded onto the pop culture scene in the years 2012 and 2013. With celebrities like the Twerk Team rising to positions of Internet fame, the move being prominently featured in music videos such as Diplo's "Express Yourself," and the coverage culminating in the infamous Miley Cyrus Video Music Award Performance with Robin Thicke, twerking looked like something that had sprung up overnight.

Let’s admit it, nearly all of us have interest in the day of spooks, ghouls and ghosts. Whether it’s heading to a scare-fest to try and not wet our pants or heading to a club night or house party, to dress up and get a little more than tipsy. But, what’s one unsung hero that pieces these events together? Music!

Music. What a strange concept, hey? Who knew that this thing humans can only truly hear could affect us in so many beautiful ways. There are so many questions about music, but I want to ask you a specific one. Do you know where the music you listen to comes from?

HOW TO BOOK A TOUR INDEPENDENTLY & BE SUCCESSFUL

The significance of learning music at a young age is depicted through the resultant developments your child undergoes. Listening to good music creates a particular inclination towards the performing arts discipline, and learning any musical instrument offers a myriad of opportunities. The piano for instance is a remarkable example of both, how complicated and mesmerizing music is. Learning the piano since a younger age can lead to a holistic development of your child’s physical as well as mental abilities. Leveraging this advantage of learning music can only be made achievable by a piano teacher or a music teacher for that fact.

My second music post was fairly “easy” for me to write; so I thought I should give myself a bit of a challenge and touch on stronger feelings and emotions that are sometimes harder for us to handle – Love, Hatred, and Pain.

What kind of musician are you? Are you the person who comes home from doing whatever you do, and you play your guitar as a way to decompress from the day? Or are you the person who wakes up and picks up the guitar, and spends every waking second working to become the best guitar player in their area? Maybe you're a little bit of both—who knows? But one thing that I know for sure is that there is something about your playing you want to improve.

So you want to play piano. But before you can even begin to consider notes and rhythm and squiggly lines that give you migraines, you must first find an instrument to play on.

With advancing technology, more sophisticated musical instruments became possible, and during the 20th century, peaking in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the electric guitar became an institution for musicians and a battlefield of competition among the great guitar players of the era. From Les Paul to Page and Hendrix the explosive possibilities of electric guitar reached their full potential.

Well, 2019 is almost coming to an end which means it is also the end of the 2010s decade. Next year will be in the year 2020, and this start a new decade. Looking back, we think about all the moments in our pop culture including food, trends and music. I’m looking at which music artists ruled this decade. So much great music came out and has shifted the music world forever. I personally think each year a artist capitalized and made their mark on the music world and stood through all the rest. Here’s a look at my list and see if you agree.

12. “Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it...”

Just as a warning before we get started: It will be a miracle if I don’t list every single solo song from every single member of the band, but I’m going to attempt to practice a little self control and only list the songs that I listen to religiously and/or think are the top of the chain for that particular artist. With all that being said, and now that you are perfectly aware that this could be the most extensive playlist ever created, let’s get to it.

We’re back! Here's a brand new playlist featuring the songs and artists you loved in November. We’ve got a bit of everything in this edition of To the Beat, from lo-fi indie jams to pop hits and everything in between. This month’s roundup features an impressive array of genres, artists, and styles, so thanks for sharing your unique sound with us! Give the playlist a listen before you start exclusively listening to Christmas music; we promise it’s worth it! Whether you feel like jamming out to an old favorite or you’re in the mood to discover something new, we’ve got you covered.

Hi all!

Hi all!

Disney does a great job giving their villains huge amounts of personality, and awesome songs to go with. Here are the (in my opinion) five most powerful ones.

During the 1960s, THE LLOYD THAXTON SHOW was the favorite TV spot for millions of teens and preteens throughout the United States. From the Monkees to the "Mashed Potato," Lloyd gave the kids an awesome mix of dance, special musical guest stars—and the great Thaxton humor. When the show left the air, he went on to produce Fight Back! with David Horowitz, over 200 segments of the Today Show, gain five Emmys, and cowrite the popular book, STUFF HAPPENS—And Then You Fix It! Just prior to his passing, he was producing a new DVD chronicling his famous teen show. I caught up with Lloyd in May of 2007 and he graciously consented to this interview:

If you ask someone what music they like, they might easily answer “anything but country.”

"No, I can't do it, I can't sing." That is a phrase that irks me every time. Every. Single. Time. In reality, there is a small percentage that actually can't sing, and it's usually due to physical damage. That part of the population I'll exclude from this.

Join Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons on their tours around the world. Their music is an instantaneous hit that meets the ears!

The musical output that John Coltrane produced in his lifetime is staggering, especially, considering that the saxophone player and composer’s life was cut short by liver cancer at the age of forty.