When Tiffany sang "you put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground," could I really have pictured a boy and girl tumbling down a hill—like, rolling down it log-style, maybe just before engaging in a potato-sack race? I've spent a lot of time trying to imagine how I sang that song without … Continue reading Memories of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40
raised on the radio
Gordon Lightfoot
I've been listening to Gordon Lightfoot for 44 of my 44 years. It's a gimme, isn't it? If you were alive in the 70's, you listened to Gordo. That doesn't mean I knew the ins and outs of the man. Actually.....I heard from a reliable source that his life took some serious wrong turns, … Continue reading Gordon Lightfoot
Blood Sweat and Tears
How will you be remembered? Will you be the guy who fought for a cause? Or will you be a guy who had an amazing idea for a band, a band that would turn into a pop sensation?! What if you don't want your band to be a pop sensation? You dig your heals in the … Continue reading Blood Sweat and Tears
Thanks Dad, For Raising Me on The Radio
The site happens to have an apt title that resonates with me,because I was almost literally raised on the radio by parents who were, and still are, drawn to the music of the '50s, '60s and '70s. The literal edge of being raised on the radio stems from the fact that Dad, Tony, is a … Continue reading Thanks Dad, For Raising Me on The Radio
Music Transports Me
The other day, I woke up disoriented to the sound of my husband’s clock radio alarm going off. In the split second it took me to process my surroundings and realize that it wasn’t the middle of the night and my toddler hadn’t woken me up coughing again, I became aware of the song. … Continue reading Music Transports Me
The Magical Mystery of Music
If there was no such thing as the magical mystery that is music, I wonder what humans would do to pass the time? If I couldn't hum to myself or learn to produce tonal incantations from odd and diverse objects, then how would I express myself beyond the fragmentary thoughts that bind my mind and … Continue reading The Magical Mystery of Music
How On Demand Is Cheating Our Kids
In an age when it’s too easy to become a Ninja Netflix addict, stealthily clicking “next episode” on the iPad at 2am, knowing that you’ll regret it, and not being able to resist doing so, because it’s RIGHT THERE, right NOW, on demand, it’s hard to imagine that there was a time when life was … Continue reading How On Demand Is Cheating Our Kids
Thanks For That Magic Yellow Box
Thanks for That Little Yellow Box While children and teenagers across the land were secretly reading books by flashlight under the covers, I was covertly listening to the radio. My parents were none the wiser, thanks to a plastic yellow box -- the Sony Sports Walkman. With the Walkman came the ability to listen without … Continue reading Thanks For That Magic Yellow Box
FirstNotes and ForeverMusic
I was raised in a pretty shut-down household, where the music available was a strict diet of Classic FM (which I now love), Classical CDs (I love some of them), ‘Churchy’ music (still not that keen), and Gilbert and Sullivan (hate it with a passion). There was one exception (other than the stalwart ‘sung Times … Continue reading FirstNotes and ForeverMusic
Defending The Faith (Or: How Rob Halford Made Me Gasp Once, While Still Merely A Teen)
Raised on the Radio is a new series I've started. As a music lover I have noticed a great difference between those Raised on The Radio, and those who are being raised on streaming music and audio-downloads. As I try to teach my son about the value of musicianship, I find it increasingly difficult to share … Continue reading Defending The Faith (Or: How Rob Halford Made Me Gasp Once, While Still Merely A Teen)