Top Stories
Stories in Beat that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Others Seek to Stop Lyrics Usage in Courtrooms
In The Romantic Manifesto, Ayn Rand writes, “Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value-judgments.” This clearly shows creative expression is a selection of elements brought together by the mind.
By Skyler Saunders4 years ago in Beat
This is why I retired from classical music.
My first clarinet instructor in high school was of Italian descent, and when he met me, he saw I had an Italian surname. Despite being only 10% Italian, it turns out that I've acquired an Italian last name thanks to my paternal heritage. After I told him that, he waived his hand and said, "Never confess that you are anything other than Italian." He was an intense man who was renowned among my classmates for being intimidating, as evidenced by a remark he made about me to my face during one of my first lessons: "You suck." Despite his well-deserved reputation in the community, his teaching manner did not appeal to me. I'll never forget one thing he said to me over and over again:“If you can imagine yourself doing anything else besides clarinet, do that instead.” He was speaking of how to make a decision about my career path, and I found his perspective deeply disturbing. I had many interests, and although music was chief among them, I couldn’t deny that I could see myself doing other things.
By Grecu Daniel Cristian4 years ago in Beat
Three Modern Woodwind Classics That’ll Take Your Breath Away
Woodwind instruments have some of the most intense depths of sound and tone of any type of instrument. There is a certain, haunting soul that you can capture on a saxophone or clarinet that is more difficult to get on a piano. Despite this, woodwinds are criminally underused in many types of music, and very often, are confined to ‘traditional’ classical music.
By Alexander Belsey4 years ago in Beat
My First Post-Pandemic Gig Got Cancelled and It Wasn't Even Covid
When I was a child my parents took me to gigs. Maybe not the coolest ones because they had parent taste, but real shows. Asleep at the Wheel, Patty Loveless, the Chieftains. Later on they even drove me and my sister to other states to see certain boy bands that I’m not ready to name. We curled our hair, we waved, we shrieked. It was freaking glorious.
By Giovanna Jakes4 years ago in Beat
Reinventing David Bowie
Throughout his career David Bowie took on many personas and characters. Some lasted several months other were a one-time appearance in a music video or photo session. Maybe Bowie used these personas/characters to escape his own realities of fear. This may have been a mechanism for coping with the demands of fame and always having that spotlight on him. When he crawled into one of his personas such as Ziggy Stardust or The Soul Man it was okay for him to express his inner anger and fear because after all it wasn't coming from David Jones but rather from a persona of his larger persona - David Bowie.
By Rick Henry Christopher 4 years ago in Beat
5 of the Best Songs to End a Film
I remember the first time I heard Darth Vader's theme (The Imperial March) when I first watched Star Wars as a child. Not who I was with neccessarily, or the exact time of night, but I remember the way my heart began to beat a little faster, and the slight feeling of dread that grew in me when Darth Vader's helmet appeared on-screen.
By Bronson Fleet4 years ago in Beat
Songs for bike rides to the boardwalk
In the summertime, I always look forward to my weekend bike rides from south Brooklyn to Rockaway beach. I've enjoyed it so much that I've even extended the journey into the autumn and have biked all the way to Rockaway from the Upper East Side in Manhattan. This journey isn't for someone in a rush to arrive at their destination, but if you're like me and enjoy distance biking, maybe you'd like to hear the playlist I made for the ride. I've been missing the warmth of summer and this playlist gives me a taste of that, no matter what time of year it is. I had so much fun curating the songs for this playlist and one song might not necessarily make sense next to the one that follows up, but as a whole, all of these songs share a similar energy and feeling for me.
By Nancy Anteby4 years ago in Beat
