In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton proclaimed September as Classical Music Month. Besides the “Yay! Classical Music!” aspect, this is notable for a couple of reasons. Namely: 1. Two years previous, then-candidate Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show playing tenor saxophone, honking happily away on “Heartbreak Hotel.” This is credited in some political circles... Continue Reading →
Queen of the Night (Disambiguation) Queen of the Night may refer to: “Queen of the Night,” Whitney Houston jam with Living Colour’s Vernon Reid on lead guitar; from The Bodyguard (Original Soundtrack Album) Queen of the Night, villain in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. Her aria in the second act has become known as the... Continue Reading →
When Chuck Berry sang “Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news,” the line appeared to be drawn. On one side was classical music: staid, stodgy, the stuff your music appreciation class forced you to hear. On the other side, popular music, in this case the then-relatively new genre of rock ‘n’ roll: wild, fun,... Continue Reading →
Creativity and Mental Illness Embracing a Life ‘Touched with Fire’ This blog is the first in a series of five on Art as a Survival Tool, blogs that examine the crucial role art plays in the fulfillment of the human experience. VanGogh and his ear. Marilyn Monroe and her everything. Mozart. Robin Williams. Nina Simone.... Continue Reading →