NYS Music 202​1

Category: News Desk

  • Gene Simmons Schools Schalmont Music History Students

    The Schalmont School District recently shared on their Facebook page this week that legendary glam rocker Gene Simmons virtually met with high school students on June 16.

    gene simmons schalmont
    Simmons on the Zoom call with Schalmont Students

    Once a New York City teacher himself, Simmons agreed to spend 30 minutes with the Schalmont rock history students to answer some questions. He ended up speaking for over an hour giving advice, sharing stories and engaging in jovial conversation.

    The virtual meeting came together with the help of Schalmont High Senior Gabe Unser, who looked up the musician on his website.

    I found a media contact online and said ‘I don’t know if I can ask this but we have a History of Rock Music class and we were wondering if Gene would be able to talk to our class.’ She replied he’d be happy to.

    Gabe Unser

    According to Unser’s teacher, Robert Renzi, Simmons does not usually answer to inquiries but was moved by the message and decided to take the opportunity.

    Simmons recalled how committed he and the rest of KISS was to practicing endlessly in their small New York City apartment. He simultaneously worked various jobs during that time, including teaching 6th grade.

    Simmons 1960s teacher photo compared to his iconic rock persona. Credit: KISS Facebook Page

    Simmons’ key piece of advice was to ignore the naysayers and do what you love. But, he was quick to say to not quit your day job in the process. Simmons also noted he has never drank alcohol or used illegal drugs and encouraged students to do the same.

    The thing we did right is we did what we envisioned and put together a band we had never seen on stage before.

    Gene Simmons

    When a student asked if they could get autographs, or at least for their teacher as a retirement gift, Simmons agreed to send each person an autograph. He ended the meeting by telling students they could do anything if they put in the time and encouraged them not to be afraid of failure.

    Kiss in London – May 1976 Credit: Photo by Andre Csillag/REX/Shutterstock

    This is not the first time Simmons got in touch with his teacher side. While filming his reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, he visited public school music charity organization, Little Kids Rock.

    Simmons ditched his celebrity status in the clip, interacting with the children one-on-one, sharing valuable advice similar to his meeting with the Schalmont students, and even playing bass along with them. Simmons teamed up with Fender to donate guitars and other musical supplies to the charity before he left.

    After multiple decades and a successful music career, it seems Simmons never really quit his teaching day job!

  • ‘Music To Your Ears’ virtual event to be held to benefit Rochester Hearing & Speech Center

    Dozens of musicians from Western New York are coming together on he evening of Thursday June 24 to support “Music To Your Ears,” a live online fundraising event for Rochester Hearing & Speech Center.

    For a minimum donation of $10, viewers can access an eclectic range of acts. Featured performances include sets from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, a duo from The Honey Smuglers, Teagan Ward, Roses & Revolutions, and Periodic Table of Elephants. See the full lineup below.

    music to your ears

    Captioning is available on the day of the event. Donations can be made until 4:45 on June 24, with a start time of 7 pm. 100% of donations go to support Rochester Hearing & Speech Center’s not-for-profit mission of improving quality of life through education and clinical services.

    Rochester Hearing & Speech Center has been an institution in Rochester and the surrounding areas, providing services for almost a century. Our mission is to provide ‘communication for life’ across the lifespan.’ We look forward to another 100 years in the community and we could’t do it without the generous help of our donors and sponsors.’

    Greg Horton, Director of Audiology

    Lineup (in Alphabetical Order):

    • Alyssa Trahan
    • Amanda Ashley Trio
    • Bill Tiberio Band
    • Deborah Mangone
    • Evan Harrington
    • Honey Smugglers (Brian and Steve)
    • Kire Najdovski Band
    • North Star String Band
    • Periodic Table of Elephants
    • Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
    • Roses & Revolutions
    • Teagan Ward
    • Up2Somethin’

    Find out more about each artist/band here.

    Rochester Hearing & Speech Center provides comprehensive audiology services, which include comprehensive and diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings, auditory processing disorder evaluations, and newborn hearing screenings.

    The clinic also offers early intervention and pre-school, as well as private therapy and tutoring. Offerings include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and special education services. In addition to their expertise in working with children, their staff has experience working with specialized populations, such as individuals with developmental disabilities, veterans, and musicians. The hearing loss prevention program is an important aspect of their services.

    A major cause of hearing loss is exposure to noisy environments. A consultation can lead to recommendations and fittings for custom hearing protection including high-fidelity earplugs and in-ear monitors.

    For more about Rochester Hearing & Speech Center or the “Music To Your Ears” event on June 24, visit their website at RHSC.org.

  • Symphony Space Announces Milestone Events For 2021-22 Season

    Symphony Space makes a memorable return to its Upper West Side building for the 2021-2022 season that brings beloved cultural institution’s programs (Selected Shorts, Wall to Wall, and Bloomsday on Broadway) to new heights.

    The company has upgraded its Peter Jay Sharp Theatre and Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre with state-of-the-art equipment to both capture and stream performances along with presenting select future works from within the theatre for both in-person and virtually to viewers around the world.

    Symphony Space

    Programming will include three ‘Milestone Events’:

    Wall to Wall Selected Shorts, the “First-Ever Literature-Based Wall to Wall Event,” Allowing actors the capability to read, “Great,” fiction to a live audience combining two beloved signature Symphony Space programs (March 26, 2022)

    This monumental event celebrates—and expands upon—the literature-in-performance series in which well-known screen and stage actors read classic and new short fiction in front of a live audience.

    Symphony Space

    Symphony Space’s 50th Music Wall to Wall, a Marathon Tribute to Quincy Jones (May 14, 2022)

    Quincys discography makes him an ideal artist to honor at the 50th Wall to Wall. His global impact crosses from genres to generations, disciplines, and cultures.

    This tribute to Quincy will be a gathering of musicians, singers, dancers, actors, and more, along with a day-long, nonstop celebration. And, all of it will be free and open to the public, as every Wall to Wall has been since our founding.”

    Bloomsday on Broadway Celebration Featuring a New Production from Elevator Repair Service to Mark the Centenary of James Joyce’s Ulysses (June 16, 2022)

    Symphony Space

    Symphony Space’s annual Bloomsday on Broadway offers artists the chance to apply their own vision to the James Joyce masterpiece Ulysses, displaying across the decades the inspiration a brilliant work can have.

    The 2021-2022 Season will also include Residencies with Acclaimed Musicians Ravi Coltrane (February 3-5, 2022) and Meshell Ndegeocello (February 24-26, 2022)

    Ravi Coltrane is a Grammy nominated saxophonist, bandleader and composer while eleven-time Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello is known for, “Merging soul, rock, and hip-hop to make a kind of R&B that is at once cerebral and interstellar” (Pitchfork).

    Symphony Space, A preforming Arts Center in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Provides viewers with superb virtual performances, along with carrying potentials for accessibility into the future, through select programming presented in a Hybrid Format for Both In-Person and Remote Viewers.

    The Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre

    Symphony Space’s 2020-2021 virtual events engaged audiences in all 50 states, along with 56 countries.

    “What defines Symphony Space is our unique convening of artists and writers,’ Says executive director Kathy Landau. “This season is built around a magnificent array of artists and important milestone events, and we can imagine no better way to once again throw open our doors and welcome in audiences who found out about us during the last year.”

    Symphony Space traces its beginnings to Wall to Wall Bach, a 12-hour music festival conceived by playwright-director Isaiah Sheffer and conductor Allan Miller in 1978. With the success of the event, Sheffer and Miller decided to lease the building and turn it into a permanent cultural venue.

    Symphony Space
    The Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre

    Tickets go on sale in August, when additional season programming will be revealed.

    To Learn more about Symphony Space and their mission visit the webpage here

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band to Celebrate 10 Years at The Beacon Theatre

    Starting September 30th, Tedeschi Trucks Band will hold their first of seven shows at the Beacon Theatre to celebrate 10 years of performing. These NYC shows will be the band’s first performances since February 2020.

    tedeschi trucks beacon

    The 2021 shows will feature artists such as Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet on September 30th, Anders Osborne on October 5th, and Jorma Kaukonen on October 6th.

    We’re thrilled to welcome Tedeschi Trucks Band back to The Beacon this fall with seven shows and to celebrate their 10th anniversary performing at the legendary theater. It is such a testament to the strength of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s connection to their audience that they can make this dual city residency a reality. These shows are another example of the unique, world-class entertainment options MSG Entertainment is able to offer with venues that span from intimate theaters such as The Beacon to The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden.

    Darren Pfeffer, executive vice president, live, MSG Entertainment.

    The band’s multi-year, dual-city residency with The Beacon Theatre has been highly successful in years prior, and this year is even more important as it is their 10th. The Beacon residency offers the talented 12-member group an opportunity to explore an especially large range of musical territory – often exceeding 100 different songs throughout the run. Guest sit-ins have also made the residency special.

    Recent years have featured surprise appearances by Trey Anastasio, Nels Cline, Ravi Coltrane, Luther Dickinson, Amy Helm, Norah Jones, Eric Krasno, Robert Randolph, and Joss Stone, among others. While legacy acts such as the Allman Brothers Band and Steely Dan made the Beacon Theatre their home for multi-night performances, Tedeschi Trucks Band represents the next generation, pushing the envelope nightly with a loyal fanbase that looks forward each year to their run at the iconic venue.

  • Levin Brothers’ Vaccinating Rhythm Tour Announces Bearsville Theater Show

    Woodstock’s Tony and Pete Levin bring their Levin Brothers Vaccinating Rhythm tour to the Bearsville Theater on June 26, 2021, as part of a select tour of shows. The duo was founded by Pete and Tony Levin in 2013, after 5 decades of performing and recording with the titans of music in jazz, fusion, rock, pop, and world music. Now, they are set to tour New York alongside an outstanding supporting jazz lineup at the Bearsville Theater.

    After guesting on each other’s projects, the Levin Brothers finally decided to create their own jazz band. To date, the Levin Brothers have released 2 albums – the self-titled first album in 2014, and the follow-up live album Special Delivery in 2017. The band has toured all over the USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Japan.

    Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Tony Levin, one of the most recorded bassists in the history of music, has become bass and Chapman Stick voice for Peter Gabriel and King Crimson. He has played on notable recordings for icons John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Carly Simon, Buddy Rich, Gary Burton, and Chuck Mangione. Currently, tours and records with Stick Men, Levin Brothers, King Crimson, and Peter Gabriel.

    After graduating from the Julliard School, Pete Levin became a synthesizer specialist among New York City recording studio scene. Over the years, he has graced hundreds of jazz and pop recordings, performing with many artists including the following: Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, David Sanborn, Annie Lennox, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, Lenny White, and Paul Simon.

    A veteran of the New York Jazz scene, Jeff ‘Siege’ Siegel has become a who’s-who of jazz artists. A member of Sir Roland Hanna’s Trio from 1994 to 1999, he has performed and recorded with jazz legends including Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Lee Shaw, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Frank Foster, Helen Merrill, and Mose Allison.

    Additionally, contemporary Jazz guitarist Jeff Ciampa has recorded and toured with some of the most well-known jazz, pop, and rock stars, including the following: Harry Belafonte, Jon Lucien, Dave Matthews, Mark Egan, Bill Evans, Al MacDowell, Ornette Coleman, Lew Soloff, and Lenny White.

    All tickets are $50 General Admission in advance and $55.00 general admission at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM ET and the show begins at 8:00 PM ET. For tickets, visit www.bearsvilletheater.com

    Bearsville Theater’s Jazz Brunch lineup

    For the finest jazz, food, and drink in the Catskills, experience the Bearsville Theater’s Jazz Brunch every Sunday through Labor Day with the following artists:

    6/20 – Pete Levin
    6/27 – Christine and Elliott Spero
    7/04 – The Peter Einhorn Trio
    7/11 – Elliott Spero
    7/18 – Chris Milletari
    7/25 – Ken McGloin and Jim Curtain
    8/01 – The Peter Eiinhorn Trio
    8/8 – Pete Levin
    8/15 – Marrotta Trio
    8/22 – Baron Raymonde and Bennett Hiscox
    8/29 – Perry Beekman
    9/05 – The Peter Einhorn Trio

  • The 31st Bard Music Festival Announces Programming

    The Bard Music Festival will return for its 31st season with an exploration of the life and work of Nadia Boulanger. Nadia Boulanger is the pioneering Parisian pedagogue, composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and indomitable personality who shaped more than a generation of American musicians.

    Through a series of themed concert programs, Nadia Boulanger and Her World pays tribute to one of the most important female figures in the history of classical music.

    Bard Music Festival

    Works will be featured by Nadia Boulanger, J. S. Bach, Grażyna Bacewicz, Lili Boulanger, Johannes Brahms, Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, Gabriel Fauré, Walter Piston, Raoul Pugno, Francis Poulenc, Jean Françaix, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Philip Glass, Adolphus Hailstork, Dinu Lipatti, Marcelle de Manziarly, Olivier Messiaen, Claudio Monteverdi, Thea Musgrave, Julia Perry, Astor Piazzolla, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Erik Satie, Ethel Smyth, Igor Stravinsky, Germaine Tailleferre, Louise Talma, Louis Vierne, George Walker, and Charles-Marie Widor.

    bard music festival

    Weekend One: Music in Paris

    August 6
    Program One: The Exemplary Musician

    August 7
    Program Two: Contemporaries and Colleagues

    Program Three: 88 x 2: Music for 2 Pianos

    August 8
    Program Four: The Epitome of Chic: Paris Between the Wars

    Program Five: Teachers, Mentors, and Friends of the Boulanger Sisters

    Weekend Two: The 20th Century Legacy of Nadia Boulanger 

    August 12
    Program Six: L’Esprit de Paris

    August 13
    Program Seven: Crosscurrents: Salon and Concert Hall

    August 14
    Program Eight: Boulanger the Curator

    Program Nine: Remembering Ethel Smyth and Boulanger’s Circle at Home and Abroad

    August 15
    Program Ten: The Catholic Tradition in France: Clarity and Mysticism 

    Program Eleven: Boulanger’s Legacy: Modernities

    Program Twelve: Boulanger’s Credo

    Check out more articles from NYS Music on the Bard Music Festival here.

  • Chaka Khan To Headline BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Gala on June 18

    The Queen of Funk herself, Chaka Khan, will be headlining the 15-Year Anniversary Fundraising Gala for BLACK GIRLS ROCK! on Friday, June 18 in New York City.

    black girls rock

    BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is both a movement and a nonprofit organization centered around empowering women of color through positive media representation as well as leadership and career development.

    The annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK® Awards is the biggest celebration of the nexus of achievements of exemplary women of color who break boundaries, blaze trails, and set trends across sectors.

    This year’s exciting anniversary gala can be accessed virtually and is presented by Microsoft. The event will be streamed for the first time on the all new BGR!TV network and will also be available on BGR’s YouTube channel.

    The gala will be co-hosted by Tatyana Ali and MC Lyte. Along with Khan, there are planned musical performances by Alice Smith and Maimouna Youssef aka MuMu Fresh, DC’s all-woman go-go band Bela Dona, gospel sensation Tasha Cobbs Leonard, celebrity DJ Aktive and more. There will also be star-studded appearances by Tracee Ellis Ross, Common, Estelle, India Arie, Yara Shahidi, Ledisi, Wood Harris,  Misty Copeland, Jay Ellis, Rapsody, and even a virtual appearance by Michelle Obama.

    This special edition of the gala and concert “will highlight Black women in music while benefiting the advocacy and expansion of the organization.” The stream will start at 7PM. Tickets to the virtual gala can be purchased through the BGR website.

  • Psychedelic Rock Band Acid Dad share “Searchin,” Announce Bowery show

    Brooklyn-native band Acid Dad has recently released “Searchin,’” which is the first track on their upcoming album Take It From The Dead, due out on July 16. The band has also announced an upcoming tour which includes a stop at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.

    Acid Dad Searchin

    Acid Dad is an American alternative-rock band composed of singer-guitarists Vaughn Hunt, Sean Fahey and drummer Trevor Mustoe. The band released their first EP, Let’s Plan a Robbery, in 2016. Since then, they have independently produced and put out multiple singles and one live album.

    Acid Dad shared two other songs in preparation for Take It From The Dead‘s release. Tracks two and three on the album, “BBQ” and “RC Driver” respectively, dropped earlier this year.

    According to an interview with American Songwriter, “Searchin’” is inspired by bassist Phil Lesh’s book Searching for the Sound: My Life in the Grateful Dead and the Dead’s 1974 track “Unbroken Chain.” The two songs have similarities, looking for values and experiences of the past in a modern world.

    Acid Dad Searchin
    Searchin’ Single Artwork

    The music video for “Searchin”‘ pays homage to the Grateful Dead, with images of Jerry Garcia rippling in the background – calling reference to the era Acid Dad feels anemoia for, nostalgia for a time they didn’t experience.

    Take It From The Dead features an array of different influences in contrast to their earlier work, allowing for more intricate and hypnotic sounds. Their goal with the upcoming record is to provide a modern spin to the feel of neo-psych, post-punk and ’70s rock-n-roll.

    That’s one thing that I really like that the Grateful Dead always did with a song like ‘Friend of the Devil.’ When you listen to something like ‘[The Closing of] Winterland,’ they slow it down into this sultry jam and it has this intensity that just hits a lot harder. The song and the lyrics are the same, but it’s good for our own mental state to switch things up.

    Sean Fahey, guitarist of Acid Dad, in an interview with American Songwriter

    To accompany the new record’s dreamy distortion, the band has collaborated with artist Webb Hunt to produce kaleidoscopic art videos that add a visual counterpart to their sound. Green screened vaporwave backgrounds and VHS-like-quality graphics are commonly used to create this retro vibe.

    Acid Dad Searchin
    Take It From The Dead Album Artwork

    “Searchin’” can be streamed on Youtube, Spotify, and Soundcloud, (check out the full list here) Album pre-sales and pre-orders can be done on the Acid Dad record portal.

    The band has also announced 2021 tour dates with fellow psychedelic rockers Frankie and the Witch Fingers, spanning much of the month of October. Ticket purchasing information is available on the Acid Dad website.

    Check out the full list of currently-announced dates below:

    ACID DAD LIVE 2021

    (* – w/Frankie and the Witch Fingers)

    Oct 7 – Square Cat Vinyl – Indianapolis, IN *

    *Oct 8 – The Brass Rail – Fort Wayne, IN *

    *Oct 9 – Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI *

    *Oct 10 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL *

    *Oct 12 – Third Man Cass Corridor – Detroit, MI *

    Oct 13 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH *

    Oct 14 – Spirit Lodge – Pittsburgh, PA *

    Oct 15 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD *

    Oct 16 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY *

    Oct 18 – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA *

    Oct 19 – Fuzzy Cactus – Richmond, VA *

    Oct 20 – Snug Harbor – Charlotte, NC *

    Oct 23 – Intuition – Jacksonville, FL *

    Oct 24 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL *

    Searchin’ Music Video

  • Skyzoo releases latest project ‘All The Brilliant Things’

    The latest effort from Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo is now available for consumption. Released under Mello Music Group (which has released albums with the likes of: Ghostface Killah, Joel Ortiz, Pete Rock & Apollo Brown), the 14-track, 56-minute album is a reflection of the socio-economic impacts of modern-day gentrification within inner-city neighborhoods. 

    Skyzoo, born Gregory Skyler Taylor, brings a full-circle perspective to the listener. Growing up during one of the peaks for crime in New York City, he can reference the good and bad between the two eras. From the lawlessness and the heightened sense of self that the 1990’s brought, the changing of the guard in the mid-aughts where being “gangster” gave way to “backpack rap” and being openly nerdy, to present-day, where the culmination of the previous epochs have helped shape our current social-political climate. 

    My music has always been a combination of a few things: storytelling, motive, and reflection. I tell stories that speak on the motives of those I grew up with and why they’re such, and then reflect on how those things impacted us all, both my inner circle and subconsciously, the listener.

    A long-serving and accomplished artist, Skyzoo has been releasing music since the early 2000s. Gaining notoriety for his solo work as well as collaborations with the likes of: 9th Wonder, Wale, Ghostface Killah, Pharoahe Monche, Black Thought, Dr. Dre, Spike Lee, amongst others. He gained further recognition after being featured on the soundtracks for basketball videos games NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12.

    Skyzoo
    Dr, Dre (Left) Skyzoo (Right)

    All The Brilliant Things is the veteran emcee’s first project since his 2020 EP Milestones and his first album since 2019’s Retropolitan, but has been in the works for over three years.  

     The idea was to truly try and tackle the realities of gentrification, and this new era of cultural appropriation, commonly known as ‘culture vulturing.’ The way they intertwine with one another, parallel at times, and how us as the residents of our long standing homes and creatures of these cultures have been stripped of it, or at times let it happen, and even in some cases sadly helped it happen, all for what we assumed was our best interest. The irony of it all is, despite how it all makes us feel in hindsight, one would have to admit that the orchestration of it was truly brilliant. Brutal, and heinous, but somehow pretty brilliant. Hence the title of the album.

    You can now purchase, add and favorite Skyzoo’s All The Brilliant Things at your preferred DSP.

  • Tycho to Launch Inaugural Audio-Visual Show in Brooklyn

    On Friday, July 23rd, Scott Hansen (aka Tycho) will launch his first ISO50 branded event at the Brooklyn Mirage in Brooklyn, NY. The event will feature six acts over six hours and will be an immersive audio-visual experience for attendees. Hansen himself will be headlining the show.

    tycho

    This event is one-of-a-kind, and all six acts have been hand-picked by Hansen, with good reason. Besides Hansen, the other acts that will perform in the heart of Brooklyn are RAC, Com Truise, Roosevelt, Heathered Pearls, and Nitemoves.

    About the show, Tycho says, “I’m very excited to announce a special event I’ve put together featuring artists whom I greatly respect and admire,” says Hansen. “This will be the East Coast debut of a new set I’ve developed incorporating elements from all three eras of Tycho and a return to a focus on the immersive audio-visual experience.”

    In keeping with the visual aesthetic of the festival, the digital event poster will be tokenized and made available as an NFT.  All attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase the NFT for only the cost of minting and gas fees. Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 18th at 10am ET.

    TYCHO : ISO50

    JULY 23 – BROOKLYN MIRAGE
    TYCHO

    RAC DJ SET

    COM TRUISE DJ Set

    ROOSEVELT DJ Set

    HEATHERED PEARLS

    NITEMOVES