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Rise of the Ukulele
Ukuleles are largely associated with the Hawaiian islands. But they originated from a different island chain-the Portguese Islands of Madeira, based off a similar, small guitar-like instrument known as a machete. In the 1880s, the Portuguese immigrated to Hawaii to work in the sugar cane fields. Ukulele roughly translates to “jumping flea” in English, which is what Hawaiians first thought Portuguese immigrant Joao Fernandez’s fingers looked like as they played the four strings on his machete. Once immigrants Manual Numes, Augusto Dias and Jose do Espirito Santo fulfilled their contracts on the fields, they moved to Honolulu to work in their former woodworking professions. Nearly a year later, they had each opened their own stores, where they specialized in stringed instruments.
Adam QuinnPublished 7 years ago in BeatNat Shapiro & Nat Hentoff's 'The Jazz Makers'
Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Billie Holliday, Fats Waller, Roy Eldridge, and Charlie Christian are a few of the jazz masters whose diverse and several talents, blossoming intensely over half a century like the dramatists of Elizabeth, Charles, and James, meet in The Jazz Makers a set of critics whose gift and moment it is to capture in prose, in virtually every essay herein, some of the most precise verbal pictures of the music these writers have heard.
Rhonda TaylorPublished 7 years ago in BeatFemale Pioneers of Pop Music
Pop music has experienced a boom in diversity lately, and we have the female pioneers of pop music to thank for that. Women have not only been a vital force for inclusion in pop music, but have also helped to shape and define the very genre. As a result, we owe a lot to these women for their strength, courage, and talent. Let’s celebrate their accomplishments with this guide to the female pioneers of pop music.
Evolution of the Concert
Attending concerts has become a staple for music-lovers, and even for those just interested in the social scene. Regardless of favorite genre or band, experiencing music live has become one of the most popular ways that people enjoy the arts and pay tribute to their favorite musicians.
Great Bands That Only Made One Album
There are a handful of great bands that only made one album, with various reasons for their lack of a second. Some of the bands met unfortunate fates, while others split up because they were only side projects to their members from the get go. Whatever the reason, there are a surprising number of great bands that you might not realize only made one album.
Will VasquezPublished 7 years ago in BeatHow 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.
Adam QuinnPublished 7 years ago in BeatMust See Music Documentaries
Music documentaries, now more than ever, are making an impact on the music industry like never before. With experimental and intimate pieces, some of the most popular documentaries are helping the world to form new opinions on some of the most iconic bands to hit the stage. These documentaries shine a light on raw portraits, background characters, and some of the most iconic bands around. They explore all genres from hip hop, grunge, to folk and paints a picture of music evolution and generations of change. Consider these must see music documentaries an intro guide to the music world.
Most Iconic Women in Rock
Rock music is full of icons, from individual artists who changed the way that we experience music to looks that shaped the fashion of a decade, but who are the most iconic women in rock? As in most things, the contributions of women to rock are often overlooked or underplayed. As a result many people may not be able to think of very many female artists, even if they love the songs that those women have produced. In order to help fight back against this unfortunate system, we have established this list, in no particular order, of the most iconic women in rock.
Will VasquezPublished 7 years ago in BeatShould I Force My Kid to Play an Instrument?
When children reach a teachable age, parents will often ask themselves “Should I force my kid to play an instrument?” While learning to play an instrument can be a great way for children to explore and cultivate a skill, it should be a conversation, not a one-way street. If they truly aren't interested, it can end up backfiring and causing thousands of dollars to be wasted. But we're not here to give parenting advice. If you are adamant about putting them into classes here are some things you should think about before you enroll them. By the end of this article, you will find the answer to the question “Should I force my kid to play an instrument?”
Who is Harry Partch?
The Adapted Viola. Chromelodeon I. The Ptolemy. Kithara I. Surrogate Kithara. Harmonic Canon III. Bloboy. Koto. Crychord. Diamond Marimba. Quadrangularis Reversum. Marimba Eroica. Boo I. Boo II. Mbira Bass Dyad. Eucal Blossom. Gourd Tree. Cone Gongs. Cloud-chamber Bowls. Spoils of War. Zymo-Xyl. Mazda Marimba. Ugumbo. Waving Drum. Mbira. Ektara. Eucalyptus Claves. Fiji Rhythm Boat.
Rhonda TaylorPublished 7 years ago in BeatCoolest Music Themed Funko Pop!
With so many great musicians included in the series, it can be tough to definitively decide on the coolest music themed Funko Pop! figures. Since introducing the Pop! Rocks series in 2012 the line has expanded rapidly, and there are also limited edition versions of some figures with special features like glow-in-the-dark or metallic portions. While many of the Best Funko Pop! Collectibles are based around fictional characters, there are a number of real-life figures as well. Not surprisingly, many of these collectibles are miniature versions of world-famous and legendary classic-rock musicians; however, the series has also incorporated some more modern individuals and a few characters that are quite obscure to most North American buyers. Each of the musicians is worth having for the serious collector, but there are some in the series that stand out from the rest as the coolest music themed Funko Pop! figures.
Adam QuinnPublished 7 years ago in BeatHow Deaf People Perceive Music
People have always wondered how deaf people hear when it comes to music. Many thought that is was not possible to sense anything, but more and more research has captured how deaf people perceive music. Serving as one of the greatest examples of a deaf musician is Beethoven, and as time has gone on, more research and attention has been directed towards the mystery of how deaf people perceive music.