Music Culture

The 2011 Grammy Awards have scarcely ended and the music world mourns the loss of jazz pianist and legend, George Shearing.  Recognized for orchestrated and inventive jazz, he created 300…

When I was in college, one of my music theory professors would begin each class by sitting at the piano and singing a standard – one of the great songs…

John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. in 1854, on G Street near the Marine Barracks. His father, Antonio, played trombone in the U.S. Marine Band, and John Philip grew up…

By the 1970s there were many traveling groups — some family quartets, some all-male quartets, and even mixed trios were seen traveling to churches and conventions across the country.

Many people like to lump various styles of music together in one large category and simply call it “gospel,” but this does a huge disservice to those who are searching…

Do the names Blackwood, Goodman, Gaither, or Speer mean anything to you?  If you grew up in the South, they probably do.  These are some of the most recognizable “southern gospel”…

For anyone who lived through the turmoil of the 1970s, songs like Close To You, Superstar, and Rainy Days and Mondays are a part of your history. Some people openly…

I took some time today to listen to some of the incredible arrangements that have emerged from our newest recordings and found myself pondering the significance of shows such as “High School Musical” and “Glee” from a music education standpoint.