All Music
‘Minister of music’: Courtney Bryan fuses protest with the sacredAt a time when many people take to the streets to protest injustice, Courtney Bryan turns to her piano. The recently named MacArthur fellow calls music a way to grapple with the emotions of things, rather than become numb to others’ pain.
Taylor Swift is having a moment. So is girlhood.With a record-breaking tour and yet more Grammy nominations, Taylor Swift is building an unprecedented career on the nostalgia and heartache of girlhood. Yet more deeply, she is showing the power of friendship.
First Look‘When I play drums, I feel proud’: How music inspires hope in HaitiIn Port-au-Prince, many children are finding joy in playing music. A program that serves 400 Haitian children keeps them safe indoors amid gang violence while providing a creative outlet. “Music transforms,” said a former student and now guitar instructor.
How a classical pianist reinvents herself in major and minor waysPianist Simone Dinnerstein is returning to the stage on Sept. 23, at a concert presented by Emmanuel Music at Tufts University in Boston.
At The Record Co., music belongs to everyoneThe Record Co. is a state-of-the-art facility that can be rented for as little as $10 per hour. Each month, 3,500 musicians pass through its doors.
First LookHip-hop at 50: Up from the ashes of urban decay, a creative defianceHip-hop began in the Bronx on Aug. 11, 1973, at a block party in a rec room. DJ Kool Herc introduced the attendees to “the break” – extending the musical beat between verses to allow for longer periods of dancing. A musical phenomenon was born.
How Britain’s Chineke! is changing classical musicIn the United Kingdom, performer Chi-chi Nwanoku saw a way to create diversity – and broaden perspectives on orchestra music and members.
Letter from ‘Glasto’: Kid packs, wilderness wipes, and ‘Rocket Man’The Glastonbury music festival turns a patch of English pasture into one of the happiest places on Earth. The challenge: how to participate, in comfort, with a 2-year-old son and pregnant wife.
First LookPaul McCartney says new Beatles record features AI John LennonThe “last” Beatles record is being made using artificial intelligence. Paul McCartney says audio engineers were able to extract John Lennon’s unfinished song from an old demo, decades after the band broke up. The new song is set to be released soon.
First Look‘Simply the Best’: Icon Tina Turner defined survivor in epic careerBeloved entertainer Tina Turner lived a storied life of strength, overcoming horrific abuse and a stalled solo career to become one of the most popular singers of her era.
First LookEurovision 2023: A message of hope, reprieve from war, for UkraineEurovision returned to the U.K. after 25 years, but the focus this week has been on Ukrainian culture. The finals take place Saturday in Liverpool, England. Fan favorites include Finnish Käärijä’s “Cha Cha Cha” and “Tattoo” by Sweden’s Loreen.
For this Minnesota choir, ‘music makes community’What does it take to create unity? An amateur choir in Minneapolis fosters opportunities to connect – and spread joy.
In Pictures: In Senegal, the kora ‘brings me closer to God’The kora fundamentally changed the monks’ worship. But the monks also transformed the kora, modernizing its tuning pegs and spreading its popularity.
He listens. He improvises. Meet the ‘music doula.’When creativity feels unlimited, accessible to all, it flows more freely. How has one musician found a way to lead artists to that comfortable place?
‘It’s where I belong’: Black Belt Eagle Scout’s latest album celebrates homeThe pandemic offered more time to reflect on the spaces we inhabit. With her latest album, Black Belt Eagle Scout celebrates how her own perspective on a familiar place changed.
First LookBeyoncé makes history as most decorated artist with 32nd GrammyBeyoncé won a total of four awards at the 2023 Grammys. Other notable moments included the 50th anniversary of rap and Viola Davis, winner of best narration, earning an EGOT – an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
Trumpet star Ibrahim Maalouf doesn’t put music – or people – in boxesGrammy nominee Ibrahim Maalouf sees music as a way to show people how they are more alike than different – and to celebrate those similarities.
First LookJoyful jazz: The lasting appeal of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’Since first airing in 1965, Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” continues to win over generations from the gently cascading piano in “Skating,” the driving melody of “Linus and Lucy,” and the charm of “Christmas Time is Here.”
Community and Christmas meet in Loreena McKennitt’s latest albumLoreena McKennitt brings Celtic sounds and a community sensibility to her latest album, recorded at a Presbyterian church in Stratford, Ontario.
Why this popular British organist plays in the key of joyBritish musician Anna Lapwood has a classical résumé and a growing pop culture fan base, thanks in part to viral videos that stoke viewers’ delight, and her own.
