Jul 16 2012
I thought it relevant to post one of Richard Picciuto’s blogs about Paul McCartney today, since McCartney has been prominent in the news lately. Over this weekend, on Saturday evening, July 15, 2012, Sir Paul showed up at a Bruce Springsteen concert in London’s Hyde Park and began performing with “The Boss.” The park is …
Feb 16 2012
The harpsichord is from a family of keyboard instruments which are plucked, not struck, by the key mechanism (a small plectrum, originally of quill.) The harpsichord was most probably invented in the late Middle Ages usually considered as having sprung from the clavichord. The harpsichord was much more complicated than the clavichord, in that the …
Feb 13 2012
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, it left behind a city full of destroyed homes. Despite ongoing rebuilding efforts, thousands of blighted properties remain. Ms. Delaney Martin sent an e-mail to people she variously calls “tinkerers and makers, wonderful eccentric genius types and “weirdos,” and asked each to design and build a shack, …
Jan 14 2012
“The defining moment of Glenn Gould’s career came in 1964 when, at the age of 31, he withdrew from all public performance. The move was viewed by audiences and critics as willful and bewildering, and was seen as evidence that despite his demonstrably supreme artistry he was, in the argot of the common man, a …
Dec 28 2011
Born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, John William Coltrane (also known as ‘Trane’) was a U.S. saxophonist, bandleader, composer and iconic figure of 20th-century jazz. He was raised in rural North Carolina, where he was exposed to the alluring music of the Southern church – both of his grandfathers were ministers. Coltrane’s father, …
Dec 26 2011
Sleeveface is an internet phenomenon wherein one or more persons obscure or augment body parts (usually the face) with record sleeve(s), causing an illusion. Also known as LP Portraits, a profile picture is taken which then reveals a “hybrid face” of the subject and famous person depicted on the vinyl cover. Here is a simplified …
Dec 24 2011
The origin of the Christmas carol known as Silent Night (German: ‘Stille Nacht’) was a poem that was written in 1816 in the alpine village of Mariapfarr, by Josef Mohr, an Austrian Catholic priest. On December 24, 1818, as curate of a newly erected parish-church, St. Nicola of Oberndorf, he handed over a poem to …
Dec 13 2011
Carole King is arguably the most successful and revered female songwriter in pop music history. To date, more than 400 Carole King compositions have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles…many reaching #1. She was the first woman to win four GRAMMY® Awards in one year, plus songs for films, …
Nov 16 2011
“The most difficult aspect of the oboe is the process of making reeds. They’re so temperamental. The tip of the reed is thinner than a hair. You try to rely on it for your daily playing level; it’s like walking on thin ice.”~~~Liang Wang Once played by shepherds in the Middle Ages, today’s oboe is …
Oct 29 2011
The meteoric success of 2Cellos started when former cellist rivals Luka Šulić, and Stjepan Hauser decided to join forces. In January 2011, they uploaded a unique duo cello version of ‘Smooth Criminal’ by Michael Jackson onto YouTube. Within just a few weeks, their video became a huge viral sensation, receiving over 5 million views. A …