If you see writers at a 2,000-person music festival, chances are they’re there to cover the performances. If you see Jay Babcock, editor of Arthur Magazine, he’ll be running the show. Arthur is sponsoring Arthurfest, a two-day festival to be held Sept. 4-5 at Barnsdall Art Park. The three-year-old music and counterculture publication also runs […]
Author Archives: David Greenwald
2 down, 48 to go for ambitious musician
For most, the time-honored tradition of the American road trip is an exercise in freedom, a chance to explore the limitless irresponsibility of the highway. Sufjan Stevens is making his way across the United States, one album at a time. The Midwestern folk musician has just completed the second installment in his ambitious “50 States” […]
Music makers to create their careers
What do you do with a bachelor’s in ethnomusicology? If you’re a graduating student at UCLA, chances are you still don’t know. While some students look to medical school or the workforce for their post-graduate plans, ethnomusicology students are just ready for a break from their time-consuming coursework. “I know a lot of students on […]
Cover Story
For a culture that prides itself on originality and innovation, we sure love a good cover song. From “American Idol,” where contestants are rated based on their performances of other people’s songs, to Ryan Adams’ Grammy win for his version of Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” cover songs and cover bands are more prevalent than ever. Recent years […]
Classical pianist rocks, rolls
Throughout history, rock ‘n’ roll and classical music have been locked in an endless war of the genres. Not so for Christopher O’Riley, classical pianist and host of Public Radio International’s “From The Top” radio show. The musician will premiere his tribute to American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith tonight in a UCLA Live concert at Royce […]
Playing favorites
For music Professor Walter Ponce, a piano recital is a lot like a party. And like any exclusive party, the guest list is short and limited to a few old friends: Crumb, Mussorgsky and Beethoven. Ponce, the head of the Piano Area at UCLA, will be playing select pieces by each of these well-known composers […]
Climbing MT. Vu
The Grizzly Peak is running out of mountains to climb. The soulful UCLA band has recently been named as one of 10 semifinalists for mtvU’s second annual “Best Music on Campus” contest. MtvU and Universal Records are offering the winner, who will be announced in early May, a $25,000 prize that includes an exploratory record […]