Browsing: Music

Everything. That’s what music means to artist Johnny Stimson.

And this weekend, Baylor students can hear Stimson’s music right here in Waco. He will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Common Grounds. Tickets are $5 online and $7 at the door.

Performing with him will be Uproar artist Trannie Stevens and Aprilemade.

Two of Marvin Gaye’s children sued Robin Thicke and his collaborators on the hit song “Blurred Lines” on Wednesday, accusing them of copyright infringement and alleging music company EMI failed to protect their father’s legacy.

Nona Marvisa Gaye and Frankie Christian Gaye’s suit is the latest salvo in a dispute over Thicke’s hit and whether it copies elements of Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up.”

The sounds of Halloween will fill Jones Concert Hall Thursday evening. The School of Music’s organ department will highlight its namesake instrument that has become associated with this time of the year.

This year’s performance marks the 23rd annual celebration of Halloween through the demonstration of one of the oldest continuously developing instruments in the music world. Dr. Isabelle Demers is the assistant professor of organ in the department and is coordinating the event.

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Chris Brown was freed from custody Monday after facing a judge on a charge that he punched a man who tried to pose in a photograph with him.

Prosecutors reduced a felony assault charge to a misdemeanor as a District of Columbia judge released Brown, who exited the courthouse to cheers and flashed a peace sign to supporters after more than a day and a half in custody.

YouTube is poised to launch a subscription music service as soon as December, positioning it to compete with Spotify, Rdio and other digital offerings, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Internet’s dominant online video already is the most popular on-demand music offering in the world.

The art lobby of Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center comes alive at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays. In just one night personalities change and new characters emerge as Baylor’s Guerrilla Comedy Troupe holds its weekly practice.

The semester began with discussion on how to improve the audience experience based on the last show. The improvisation group sat around the lobby allowing each member to voice his or her opinion on the show.

It’s that time of the year again—the time when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announces the nominees for the next class of inductees.

Rock and other genre fans, who are still interested in the rock hall’s opinion of whom is worthy of enshrinement, get their musical undies all bunched up at perceived and real slights to their favorite artists.

As Baylor Bears stomp back into town for the oldest homecoming traditions in the nation, they will be marching to beat of the – bells?

The McLane Carillon bells of Pat Neff Hall Tower will ring out as part of the annual Homecoming Recital at 5 p.m. today. The performance is free and open to the public.

The Waco Civic Theatre is enjoying some time in the spotlight. The local community theater has not only received a $50,000 grant from the Rapoport Foundation, which will be used to fund a complete renovation of their stage lighting system, but has also obtained the rights to perform the acclaimed Broadway musical “Les Miserables.”

A display of improvisation is returning to Jones Concert Hall. This is the second concert by the Baylor Jazz Ensemble following its swing-themed performance earlier in the semester.

The 18 members of the ensemble will perform songs of varying styles. Alex Parker, director of jazz studies, said the preparation for the varied program will be different than it was for the first concert of the year.

Behind the production of Pigskin Revue are countless hours of work from organizations across campus in order to bring the tradition back for the 55th year.

“It’s wonderful to see the immense amount of work that the groups as a whole put into the acts,” said Cheryl Mathis, assistant director for campus programs.

Mathis works with Sarah Pullin, graduate apprentice for Student Productions, in overseeing the planning and execution of the show. Pullin is serving as executive producer for Pigskin for the second year.

Waco Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of “Superior Donuts” employs a central theme that locals may find particularly appetizing. In essence, it is a show about a small community, it is playing at a community theater, performed by members of a close-knit community, all with the help of businesses and sponsors who are part of that same community: Waco.

Other popular boy bands are no match for Uproar Records’ newest band. This semester, Manifest Music Company steps out with a unique edge on pop music.

The band, which formed in spring 2012 ,includes Montgomery, N. J., junior Mike Stanley on bass, Abilene senior Hugh Knight on piano, and Baylor alumnus Zac Flowers from Houston on guitar and Erik Williams from Colorado Springs, Colo., on drums.

Unless you’ve been hibernating in the arctic tundra for the past few months, you have probably heard of Miley Cyrus’ controversial shenanigans or seen a .gif of her twerking at the VMAs.

After taking a hiatus from music, Miley has certainly made a strong come-back. Her new wardrobe, which apparently consists only of crop tops and disco shorts, screams “I’m no longer Hannah Montana!” and with every new single, Miley acts more and more provocative.

Oh, Lorde!

In an age where every twerk seems calculated and every hit single seems to be the product of a meticulous marketing campaign, young Lorde (the “e” is silent) and her smash hit “Royals” (Lava/Republic) is a true surprise. The moody pop anthem _ which champions regular folks instead of the ultra-rich and powerful, while maintaining a cool, detached vibe—jumped from her native New Zealand to the United Kingdom and finally to the United States this summer, where it is currently challenging Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry for the top of the pop charts.

(“Royals” already rules the alternative charts, where it has been No. 1 for seven weeks, the longest reign ever for a woman on that chart, passing Alanis Morissette’s 1995 run with “You Oughta Know.”)

Baylor Theatre is thinking pink for its first main-stage production of the new school year with the popular musical comedy “Legally Blonde.” The play is proving to be a favorite with audiences and has sold out every performance. For one cast member in particular, this show is a big opportunity.

The iconic lead role Elle Woods, a bubbly, California sorority girl turned Harvard Law student, is played by Sarah Beard, a Gulf Breeze, Fla., senior and longtime participant in Baylor’s theater department.

It’s a new semester and that means a new season for the nationally recognized Baylor Symphony Orchestra.

Maestro Stephen Heyde, director of orchestral activities and conductor-in-residence, will direct the Baylor Symphony in its first performance of the season at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Jones Concert Hall, located inside of the Glennis McCrary Music Building.

Working in a city with new emerging artists and art forms, it can be difficult for fresh musicians to get noticed and build a fan base. In Waco, one advantage Baylor students have is the opportunity to be signed on to the student-run music business organization, Uproar Records.

Each year, the label holds two rounds of auditions, which brings new artists and re-sign bands from previous semesters. One such band, Dreamboat, is now entering its second year with the record company and hopes to use this opportunity to continue to build its fan base in Waco while honing a new sound they’ve been working hard to perfect.

Aca-believe it: Baylor has its own A Capella group reminiscent of the movie “Pitch Perfect.”

“If someone else isn’t comparing us to ‘Pitch Perfect’, we’re quoting it and acting it out ourselves,” Marshall junior Ross Tarpley said.

Death is usually associated with sadness, mourning and finality. However, for The Digital Age, death is just the beginning.

In its debut album, “Evening:Morning” released on Aug. 13, the band, formed from members of The David Crowder*Band, explores a journey from darkness to light, both with the Christian walk and in their own faith.

“As Christians, we see things die and come back to life,” said Mark Waldrop, guitarist and vocalist. “Initially, there’s lots of feelings of fear, but for us it very quickly turned to excitement.”

The tires of a black Hummer screeched to a stop. With The Black Keys blaring, three men stepped out of the truck and onto an unorthodox stage that would host their impending performance. The audience watched as the alley behind Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppe in downtown Waco set the scene for an act from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Three years later, two of those audience members will bring the work of Shakespeare to different locations around Waco in the series “Shakespeare on Location.” Arlington senior Amy Dale is one of the four students who applied and was chosen for this semester’s Advanced Directing class at Baylor.

It’s not all “song and dance” for Student Productions’ After Dark variety show coming today to Family Weekend.
Cheryl Mathis, assistant director of Campus Programs, said After Dark will feature numerous acts with diversity and originality.

The animals at Cameron Park Zoo weren’t the only ones going wild on Saturday. Continuing its yearlong celebration of “20 Wild Years,” the zoo hosted NBC’s “The Voice” top six contender and Baylor student Holly Tucker in concert at its Brazos River Country attraction.

Though this event was not the only celebration the zoo is having this year, the concert was the first they have ever hosted in hopes to do more in the future.

At Waco Civic Theatre, the bigger the hair, the closer to God. Their newest production of “Beehive: The ’60s Musical” has big hair and classic songs.

This musical revue follows the changes of women’s music in the 1960s. The show’s narrator tells the story of her teenage years through flashbacks, some fantasied, using popular tunes during the time period.

Now that smartphones have overwhelmed the concert experience to become part of life, we must strive to reach an understanding regarding etiquette and rules of engagement.

As it stands, anarchy reigns. Frustrated technophobes grumble at wired enthusiasts during many shows, and with good reason. Deciding to document the event not only affects the documentarian but also the performer and other fans. Eager to offer a solution, we’ve carved onto (imaginary) tablets a reasonable set of commandments, with the aid of “divine” guidance.

Texas folk musician David Ramirez returns to Common Grounds Coffeehouse once again, performing live tonight. This stop is only one of many on his most recent tour that will take him around the United States from New York City to Los Angeles.

Ramirez’s most recent work, “The Rooster EP,” was released in May as a follow-up to his 2012 “Apologies” album, which debuted at No. 2 on iTunes’ Singer-Songwriter chart.

Exposure: This is what artists can gain by performing at Open Mic.

This event takes place every Wednesday evening at a local coffee shop near Baylor’s campus, Common Grounds. It is free to attend and to perform.

“Open Mic is a long-standing tradition,” said Wes Butler, live event coordinator at Common Grounds.

From students to faculty to visitors, this weekly event is open to anyone and everyone.