Top Stories
Stories in Beat that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Wanna see a party trick?
From a very young age, my mother discovered that I had perfect pitch: the ability to recall the names of notes without being given a reference point. It is quite uncommon as only 1 in 10,000 people possess this trait. My family broke the scale with that one as both me and my mother had it. This ability may not seem like much, but it could be useful. Whenever the repairman came over to check out our furnace, my mother would always entertain him by playing different notes on the piano and having me name them for his amusement. Hell, whenever I hear a random noise emitted, whether it’s the hum of the refrigerator or the buzzer on a gameshow, I could definitely shoot up and tell you hey that sounded like a B-flat!
Grace LinnPublished 4 days ago in Beat
Music Genealogy
Spectrum City is a music genealogy project that attempts to trace the ancestral influences of modern popular music. Music follows the same Darwinian principles as life. Natural selection ensures successful mutations are replicated and thrive, whereas sonically flawed mutations become extinct after a few generations.
Ricky ChopraPublished 7 days ago in Beat
To the Beat: February 2021
Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well. - Aretha Franklin
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 8 days ago in BeatI Was Raised by Barbie and The Acid Queen
Music has always been a vessel for the African American experience. In the beginning, it was traditional biblical gospel to cope and communicate within the Antebellum South. Since, it has transformed into multiple genres, from the blues during the Great Depression, describing the trials of down trodden Americans. To rock and roll alongside the flower children of the sixties.
First Place in Black Women in Music Challenge
Heather Lowery is Normalizing Female Leadership
Heather Lowery was at a major music event, waiting to meet with a music manager, when a male passerby mistook her for a groupie. At the time, she was Vice President of Talent and Touring for Live Nation Entertainment.
Love At First Listen
Regardless of if you are recently single or have been livin’ the bachelorette/bachelor life for some time now, remember Valentine’s Day isn’t exclusively for couples. There is nothing wrong with being single and in 2021 we’re now releasing the shame and stigma that comes along with it! There is a humongous difference in being alone and being lonely. Therefore, “singles awareness day” (S.A.D.) should stand for “singles awe-inspiring day” instead! Let’s remember why we’re single and celebrate it. Grab the wine, call your girlfriends (optional but encouraged), and set the vibe with these tunes guaranteed to boost morale and ROCK your Valentine’s Day!
Rini MulaniPublished 20 days ago in BeatHow to Celebrate Valentine's Day at Your Grandfather's Deathbed
Step One: Answer the Call Take the red eye on Friday night (post eye surgery – so a true red eye, red eye) to Boston from San Diego to visit your dying grandfather.
Aj SlepianPublished 20 days ago in Beat
The Other Side of Love with The Beatles: An Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist
The Beatles became famous with their simple, saccharine tunes about love. ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Love Me Do’, and ‘From Me To You’ not only brought them fame, it also showed that few bands were better when it came to encapsulating the joyous feeling of love within the confines of a three-minute pop song.
Christopher DonovanPublished 22 days ago in Beat- First Place in Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist Challenge
covid ruined our valentine's day. here's my coping playlist.
I've been on Earth for twenty-two years, and never in my life have I experienced a good Valentine's Day. I don't seem to mesh with the holiday. In elementary school, kids celebrated by handing out candies...which was cool until you realized those candies were Nerds or nasty conversation hearts that taste like chalk. In high school, all my besties had boyfriends save for me. Valentine's Day was the one day a year I couldn't hang with them after school.
Kathryn MilewskiPublished 22 days ago in Beat 
Revolutionizing the Way We Listen to Music
With the advent of Smartphones, you have access to millions of songs at your fingertips. It has become way easier for people to listen to Music anytime, any place.
Alison CloveheartPublished 25 days ago in Beat
20 Black Love Songs For the Perfect Valentine's Day
February doesn't get enough credit for being one of the best months of the year. From it being Black History Month to Valentine's Day on the 14th to the freaking Super Bowl, there is a lot to celebrate in this short month (at least, if you live in the U.S.). And what is any celebration without music? Boring, that's what.
C.R. HughesPublished 26 days ago in Beat
To the Beat: January 2021
I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if you never take it seriously, you never get hurt, you never get hurt, you always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished about a month ago in Beat
