Steve’s Music Roll

A little over a year ago, I had first heard this piece performed at a Pops concert performed by the Fairfield University Glee Club. The song was composed by Christopher Tin for the menu of the Civilization IV video game, but was also incorporated into the opening of the Lion King II movie. The lyrics [...]

The more I listen to current pop stars, the more I hear sounds from another decade. Most of the new artists, including the Jonas Brothers, borrow a large amount of their sound from artists that made history in the 80s. It’s almost as if I can switch from a current pop station to one that [...]

Author: Daniel Medeiros
By Daniel Medeiros…
The life of a professional musician has all the allure of a million dollars and a one-way ticket to being famous. Is it worth it? Heck, yes! But the only way to becoming a professional musician (and by “musician,” we mean singers and bands, not professional flautists) is to land a [...]

In August, I had the opportunity to experience a musical entertainer aboard the Caribbean Princess that should be a model for all of us. Bert Stratton is a pianist who can sing, write and entertain. Night after night aboard the Caribbean Princess, Bert has an audience that listens for hours and enjoys laughing at his [...]

Many artists start out trying to be role models for their audience, but then something goes wrong. It seems that the philosophies and goals of the record labels and the artist don’t always meet in the middle; the philosophies and morals of the artist get derailed by marketing efforts of the labels. Unfortunately, a very [...]

Everyone has heard a studio recording of a band, orchestra, choir or some other musical performance. They all sound for the most part, plain, sterile, and manufactured. Everyone has also at one point or another heard or bought a “Live” recording which sounds completely different. There is an element of freedom, originality and realness to [...]

It has been happening for a while now. Studying the arts whether fine or performing has been deemphasized. Schools have been cutting funding for their arts programs along with the state governments cutting back on funding the arts. Does anyone realize what this action is doing to education in the long run?
Having a background in [...]

Music along with art have to be appreciated first hand. Second hand exposure does not affect the human psyche as great as physically being there to experience it first hand. There is something about live music and performance that is different than seeing or hearing from a recording. Without getting into the technicalities of audio [...]