Who's Hank?

My heart sank as she asked me, "Who's Hank?"


What?!  

Should I die now or die a slow, painful death as you slowly yank the dagger you just shanked into my chest?


I wrote a poem about some of my favorite songwriters for my poetry class that my classmates were reviewing to give me feedback on.  In the poem, I referenced names like Dylan, Guthrie and...Hank.  These names should stand alone, but to some...I guess they don't. 


I would have been cool with the question, "Are you referring to Hank Williams Senior or Junior?"  Now, that's an acceptable question that my heart can bear.


Who's Hank?  You're kidding, right?  No, one of the girls reviewing my poem was serious.  

Wow...what are we teaching kids these days?!


Also another girl reviewing my  poem said, "Wow, these are all songwriters.  You did a lot of research for this poem."


I didn't know how to tell my review group that I didn't do any research for this poem...I just know.


I turned in an extra copy of some of poems to my professor and he gave me back the poem were I referenced some of my favorite songwriters.  He wrote one comment.  "Why so much effort in this poem compared to your other poems."


I know his comment, which is actually a question is rhetorical, but if I could answer him I would say..."I didn't put any effort into this poem.  I wrote what I knew or know, and also I wrote this poem while I was drunk."  That's the honest truth!  No kidding!


I pretty much just proved Ernest Hemmingway right.  "Write drunk.  Edit Sober."

Shutdown On The Vault

One of the coolest radio shows that you've probably never heard of was taken off of the air, yesterday.


The Vault is the coolest radio show out of the Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas area and possibly the coolest radio show in the world.

As The Vault's moto goes, " The Vault plays the coolest music you probably have never heard of".  All the music played is by independent artists from genres of Americana, country, rock, indie-rock, garage rock, blues, psychedelic, bluegrass, red dirt, Texas and more.  The Vault plays all kind of music from all over the world with a slight emphasis on musicians from Texas.

The Vault has been on the airwaves at 95.9 FM, The Ranch Radio Station for about two years.  It started out as a two hour show on Sundays and a few months ago it became a three hour show on Monday through Friday from 11pm to 2am (central).


When I went to go tune into The Vault this past Wednesday night/Thursday morning I didn't hear The Vault.  Eventually, I came to learn that The Vault has been taken off the air by The Ranch.


I saw on the chat wall that's on  The Ranch's website, where listeners can comment, that The Ranch had to make some budget cuts and so The Vault was taken off the air.  I also saw on the chat wall that the only way The Vault can continue is if it has a sponsor.

Not being able to listen to The Vault truly saddens me, because The Vault show is the main inspiration behind my radio show The Crescendo that is on every other Monday 2-4pm (EST) on WRFL, 88.1 FM.  

The theme of my show is singer-songwriters from all genres and the second hour of my show I play singer-songwriters from Texas.  I was inspired to have this theme by The Vault show.


The DJ that does The Vault show, Shayne, is one of the main reasons I want to pursue a career in radio broadcasting.  I look up to him as one of my mentors as a DJ.


I would be remiss if I didn't recognize this situation of the dismissal of The Vault radio show.  The Vault radio show and the DJ Shayne is my inspiration behind my radio show and it's the reason why I'm in radio. 


I don't know what else to say, but this sucks!  This absolutely sucks!


My heart goes out to The Vault radio show DJ and creator, Shayne!  


Thanks for the cool music Shayne!!!

A Tip For Musicians

 This is an urgent message to all bands, musicians, artists and etc...

If I can't find your biography, if I can't find what genre music you play, if I can't find your music to listen to or buy on your website, bandcamp, tumblr or whatever else you use, then maybe you should rethink the layout!  

I mean if you want people to notice you and know more about you and your music, then include these three simple things above all else.

1) Biography (at least where you hail from or currently reside)

2) The genre of music you play (You don't have to be specific, but at least give an idea of what you sound like besides we have our own sound.  You relate to some kind of genre(s).)

3) Let people be able to listen to your music on your website or at least give them a direction of where to go and buy your music if it's not for purchase on your website in physical or digital copies.  Like CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon and etc.

A bonus would be adding who are your musical influences or inspirations.

Another bonus would be adding the lyrics to your songs on your website!!!  I think this should be a fourth thing and not a bonus.  I mean there's quite a bit of websites out there to find the lyrics to songs and I'm not sure how credible or reliable some of them are.

You don't want the wrong lyrics to your songs floating around out there.  Post lyrics on your website, so your fans and everyone can get the correct lyrics!  The REAL LYRICS!!!

Another reason why you should add at least those three things and two of the bonuses is because you don't want your fans or anyone else going to any other website and perhaps obtaining false information.

An example of the ULTIMATE musician website is Ben Kweller's!!!

Ben Kweller's website has LYRICS, biography, music and etc... However the coolest thing about his website that really makes it stand out and goes above and beyond the call-of-duty of a musician's website is that fans can create usernames and make their own profile. 

Now, does every musician, band or artist need this?  No!  But it's pretty darn cool!

If anything else, please, please...bands, musicians, artists and etc...when you are designing and updating your websites, bandcamps, tumblrs or whatever the hell else you use, keep the following things in mind:  biography, genre, your music, your musical influences or inspirations and LYRICS!!!

~Peace, Happiness and Music~

The One Day In The Year I Don't Listen To The Radio

The one day in the year I don't listen to the radio is Valentine's Day.

It seems like it doesn't matter if I'm listening to a commercial or non-commercial, pop, country, R & B, Texas or any other genre specific radio station, they all play love songs.

Why does every single radio station have to play love songs on Valentine's Day?  Why?

It's not the fact that I'm single and I don't have anybody to call my Valentine, that bothers me on Valentine's Day.  I just really don't like the holiday.  

I believe it's an over-commercialized holiday by the candy companies, card companies and other retailers.  

Also people put too much emphasis on it and feel like that they have to take out their significant other and treat them to a nice romantic dinner or similar outing.  That's ridiculous.  You shouldn't have to be a manic romantic only once a year.

And you know what, if people want to go out and be manic romantics, that's fine with me.  But please quit reminding me about Valentine's Day on the radio with love song after love song.  Love songs about how love works out and you are my one and only.  It irritates me, so much I just want to throw my radio up against the wall.

I never liked St. Valentine!  All he does is breaks hearts all over town.  And here's another person that doesn't like St. Valentine.  It's Willy Braun and Cody Braun from Reckless Kelly performing, "I Never Liked St. Valentine".

My Plea: Parents Take Your Children To Music Recitals

 I'm 22-years old and I recently attended to my first music recital! 

It was a classical guitar recital.  And despite the 12-year old boy that sat cattywampus from me at the guitar recital, crinkly his paper program; I had an incredible first music recital!


I'm currently enrolled into a classical guitar class here at the University of Kentucky.  For reference, don't ask me how learning the classical guitar is going.  Any who, we are required to attend a minimum of three guitar recitals and write a review about each recital we attend.

This past Saturday night I attended the guitar recital of Zoran Dukic.  He's originally from Croatia.  My evaluation of his performance is that he was one with his guitar.  Better yet, he owned his guitar that night!  

Surprisingly, I had the most amazing time at my first music recital, despite the 12-year old, boy crinkling his program paper.  It was much easier to absorb the music with it being right there, in my face.  I was fascinated by Dukic's fingering on the strings, his technique and his accuracy.  I was beyond impressed.


Like I said, I loved the performance and this was my first time attending a music recital and I'm 22.  The thought of me being at my first music recital didn't hit me after the performance.  It hit me during. 

I sat in my comfy chair, in a perfect air-controlled temperature room and saw a 12-year old crinkling his program paper and not paying any attention to Dukic magnificently playing classical guitar.  I thought if I was that boy...I'd be very appreciative for my parents bringing me to a music recital.

My parents never took me to a recital, when I was child.  Then again, there was never really any music recitals to attend in Southern Indiana. Nonetheless, I would've been appreciative if my parents took me.  Then again we don't think like this when we are 12-years old or so.


But parents my plea to you is take your children to music recitals! 

Even though your kido may be the one crinkling the program paper, tilting their head back and staring up at that ceiling...take them to a music recital.  

They'll thank you later!


Because you don't want your kido to turn out to be like me and say..."I'm 22-years old and I recently attended to my first music recital!" 

Why Don't They Teach Music In School?

Lately, I have been really diggin' into the 60s, 70s and 80s punk-rock scene.  And as I have been researching...it hit me, like a freight train!  

Why don't I know more about some of these bands from way back when?!  Why (shamefully to say) have I never heard of them?!  Bands like Blondie, Television, the Gun Club, X, The Blasters and etc.  Why?!  Why haven't I heard of them before?!

Then I had another thought.  Why aren't these bands and more specifically why isn't music history taught in school?

You may argue that there is classes in college and some high schools, middle and elementary schools that teach music history, but I mean actual music history.

I had a music class all through elementary school, like most youngsters do, but I only learned the basics of reading music, how to sing and we played a lot of limbo, musical chairs and heads-up 7up.

Why was I not taught who were the founding musicians, artists or bands of creating, defining and revolutionizing genres?  For example, Television was one of the founding bands of the punk-rock genre.  Why was I not taught stuff like that?

The history of music should be, in my opinion just as important as American or world history.  

I mean for goodness sakes music can make political statements and change people, concepts, perceptions and motivate people to do things.  Music can change the world. 

Look at Woodstock.  Woodstock is a big part of American history.  

It has been said that, "Woodstock was more than a moment in time, but a way of being in the world."

So, why is Woodstock not taught in schools?

Why is music not taught in schools?  

Why?  Tell me why?!

~Peace, Happiness and Music~

Oh, Forgive Me Musical Gods In the Sky, For I Have Sinned!

Oh, forgive me musical gods in the sky, for I have sinned.  I regret to inform y'all that I have gave into the temptation of digitally downloading music.

I have recently decided to start using iTunes.  I know...I know...some may say that, you are just now using iTunes?!

Well, yes, I'm just now creating my musical iTunes library, but I'm doing it regretfully.

I'm old school when it comes to music.  I rather have the physical copy in my hands, like a CD or wax copy.  

However, I have realized that I can't always afford to buy a CD or vinyl record.  And if I want only one or two certain songs by an artist or band, I'm must succumb to downloading an MP3 of the song(s).  

Therefore I have resulted to utilizing iTunes, CD Baby and purchaing MP3s from artists' home websites.

I feel like every time I digitally download that I am stabbing a musician in the heart and I'm giving the middle finger to music.

Oh, forgive me musical gods in the sky, for I have sinned!  I sincerely regret my failure to be strong and resist the temptation of conforming to the digital world of music.  Please forgive me and have mercy on my soul.

~Peace, Happiness and Music~