Music Archives - The Culture Mom

12Sep

When TV Music Means Something #ThisIsUsMusic

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by #ThisIsUsMusic. I just lost my father. It's not something I've talked about often publicly as the circumstances around his death were quite unusual. His death has impacted me in ways that I can't describe. I find myself reflecting on could have been and should have been in his final years quite often. After my parents separated 15 years ago, our relationship became a bit estranged, and then he got sick. In very recent years, he didn't know who I was and our visits got harder and harder. But if I had that extra Read More

11Jan

On Missing David Bowie

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David Bowie is gone. It's the end of an era. Of a beautiful song writer. Of a man who changed the face of music forever. It feels like a fabric from my being was removed. He was poetic. He was brave. He was a chameleon. He paved the way for so many magical talents. Without him, music would not be the same. He seemed immortal. Remembering David Bowie I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, hence I lived through the peak of his career. I don't remember the first time I heard his music, but I remember loving him at first sight. From his early appearances on Read More

15Dec

My Hanukkah Hooplah Story: Celebrating the Holiday with a Special Needs Child (with a Giveaway!)

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When my kids were small, I initiated a tradition in our house of giving eight gifts over the course of the eight days of Hanukkah. I didn't have this tradition when I was younger, but I liked the idea of lighting a candle every night and giving my children a gift to unwrap to celebrate. It was easy to go into a toy store and pick up tchotchkes for less than $10 each, or even $1 each (at the Dollar Store). My children didn't ask for anything much in particular and they liked whatever they got. As the years progressed, I kept up the tradition of eight Read More

07Aug

A Night at Caramoor with Suzanne Vega

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Last week we got in the car and headed north to Katonah to spend an evening with Suzanne Vega at Caramoor. We had long talked about attending a concert there and it basically took one of my favorite artists to get us there. I'm a long time fan of hers, having loved her for the last 25-30 years or so (gulp!). Okay that just aged me a bit. The first time I saw her was in my birthplace, Atlanta, GA, and I have seen her perform several times since in NYC, Westchester and at the Lilith Festival several moons ago. I love her song writing, the sound of her Read More

10Sep

Giveaway: Verdi’s La Traviata by Opera Australia

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"This mega-production deserves only three words: Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic!" —Opera Insider I'm giving away FIVE pairs of tickets to a very special reception and screening on September 19th of Verdi's La Traviata by Opera Australia. If you haven't yet seen it, you must. It's one of the most beautiful operas in the world and this is wonderful opportunity for a truly unique NYC experience. Verdi’s La Traviata shines in this spectacular production from Opera Australia, performed on a floating stage in the Sydney Harbor under the stars. The Read More

23Jul

FREE Israeli Concerts at Lincoln Center Out of Doors This Summer

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I love Lincoln Center. I used to live 4 blocks away and imagine how much time THE CULTURE MOM spent there. You honest would never guess. Every summer they bring Lincoln Center Out of Doors (running July 25th-August 12th) which features 100 free performances across the plazas of Lincoln Center) and I used to go there and soak in music from around the world for FREE (aahh, the pleasures of living in NYC, there are so many!). This year the festival is bringing noted Israeli musical artists are scheduled to perform throughout the Festival. For a complete Read More

21Jul

You Can’t Stop Time. But You Sure Can Enjoy Yourself.

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It was the early 1990s and I was doing some work at my university's radio station. Every morning I announced the the morning headlines at precisely 6:45 am, and I had to get there early enough to check the AP wires and figure out the day's headlines (don't ask me how I woke up). Before and after my broadcast, and every chance I got, I'd listen to the station. It was a mix of alternative, rock and classic music, most of it I loved. It was around that time I got turned on to Jill Sobule, a singer from Denver. Her songs about adolescence, feminism, Read More

03Jul

Film Review: Katy Perry: Part of Me, The Movie

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Last night my daughter and I were invited to a special preview showing of Katy Perry: Part of Me, The Movie in my old neighborhood in NYC. As we headed in right after camp and swim lessons, refreshed and ready for a night on the town, I could sense her excitement. And I was pretty excited, too. For me, Katy Perry is a throw back to the music I liked when I was her age - Blondie, Bananarama, even Weird Al Yancovic with all her crazy costumes and wigs. She's what I consider to be my guilty pleasure - music that I groove out while driving the car, music Read More

14May

Kids Cruise Kick Off with Dan Zanes and more in NYC

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Looking for something really fun and different to do this weekend with the kids? Circle Line is hosting a KIDS CRUISE SERIES KICK OFF EVENT on Saturday, May 19th. Their kids cruises will be sailing the first Saturday of the month all summer, including June 2nd, July 7th and August 4th. Boarding for the Kids Cruise will begin at 9:30am, sailing from 10:00-11:15am. Pricing is $28.00 for adults, $20.00 for children (3-12) and there is an infant comp ticket, for children 3 and under. The Kids Cruise is a great way for young children to discover the Read More

24Feb

Giveaway: 4 Tix to the Werner Chamber Quartet at Carnegie Hall

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If you live in or near NYC, this is an incredible opportunity to take your family to both see and hear a group of four young cellists, who happen to be siblings and travel the world making music. They are the Werner Chamber Quartet and they're coming to Carnegie Hall late next month. Each of the four young musicians, who range in age from 18 and 22, will perform double duty, playing solo works on the cello while taking turns accompanying each other on the piano in works by Schumann, Beethoven, Boccherini, Stravinsky, Glière and César Franck, in Read More