Guitarist Alex Cook is the sort of artist whose life moves with the tides of ideas and inspiration. Last week he graced Principia with music in the Pub, prayerful thoughts on creativity during a Quiet Time talk in Sylvester, and wisdom for artists of any kind. Although based in Boston, he tours with his paintbrush and guitar. Most recently, Cook has been writing what he calls “God songs” and performing at churches and house concerts on both coasts.
Posts Tagged ‘Music’
Kenjams: Hip-hop and community
Friday, April 30th, 2010I have been impressed with shows on TV like America’s Best Dance Crew, but when he informed me that the competition would be held at the community center in my small suburb town of Monterey – Marina – I couldn’t help but think of a handful of spiky-haired teens doing flimsy cartwheels to the Black Eyed Peas.
Music for a CS practitioner
Friday, April 16th, 2010Recently, I was informed by one of Principia’s practitioners that he was a reader of my column. “That’s great,” I thought, counting the people in my head I knew that frequently read my column: “Mom, Dad (?), girlfriend, and now, a bona fide Christian Science practitioner!” This practitioner – who shall remain anonymous in case his inclusion in my column gets him booted from the Journal listings – stated that he enjoyed my writing, but didn’t necessarily know what I was talking about. So I asked myself – what do I have to say about pop music that would be informative and perhaps relevant to a Christian Science practitioner, without offending or disappointing him and the practice?
Should we care if our favorite pop artists are copycats?
Friday, March 5th, 2010This week I wanted to address a topic that has recently been popping up on blogs and in my conversations with other music journalists. The other day someone was singing the chorus to “Tik Tok,” the breakthrough song from new party pop princess, Ke$ha. I cringed as I thought of the first time I heard it – I was in a friend’s room doing homework when I heard the eerie Gameboy synth that opens the song, with a bratty teenage girl imitating a hip-hop vocal delivery.
Kenjams: Vampire Weekend
Friday, February 5th, 2010Can you believe it was just two years ago that East Coast troubadours Vampire Weekend redefined the parameters of the Internet as a tool for independent success? Paired with a genteel collection of African-pop influenced songs, the band has scampered to unprecedented top 20 spots on the U.S. and U.K. charts. It was incredible how influential a role blog buzz played in the band’s success, helping them rapidly nab a performance on Saturday Night Live. Credit our skyrocketing consumption of music for letting us forget how young a career the indie four-piece has had.
Kenjams
Friday, October 16th, 2009After releasing a subpar album, 2007•s •Pocket Symphony,• French chill-out extraordinaires Air crash land with a new arsenal of their trademark Sophia Coppola-adored synth-pop.
The week in pictures 05.15.09
Friday, May 15th, 2009A selection of photos from this past week.
The Yoshinobu Tunes Report 05.15.09
Friday, May 15th, 2009Kenji reviews albums from Bob Dylan and Ciara.
Vocal position suspension sparks student backlash
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009Following an announcement that the position of vocal instructor will be suspended next year, students have led a campus-wide media blitz, as the continuity of the choral program appears to be in jeopardy. College President Jonathan Palmer announced the suspension of the music faculty position, along with other posts to be left vacant, last Thursday in an email to the Principia community.
Following Palmer’s announcement, students organized a “Save the Choir” campaign including fliers, Facebook groups, and a petition that has gathered more than 300 signatures from students and an additional 50 from faculty, staff, and alumni.
Several members of the Creative Arts and Communication Unit have reacted to the news with surprise and frustration, saying the administration failed to seek their input before finalizing the decision.
