Tag: music

Hazel Houser Spencer: Woman of History
Hazel Houser Spencer: Woman of History by Stella Beratlis Hazel Houser Spencer, Stanislaus County lyricist and composer of many country and gospel songs of renown, is not widely known outside of country music and bluegrass history circles. I’ve been on a personal mission, of sorts, to change that. This year, I nominated Hazel Houser Spencer […]

Jazz Blues View: Here Comes the Sun
Jazz-Blues View: Here comes the Sun Little DollyEric Benson Well folks this is the new norm with things opening and improving! The promise of spring gives me optimism for brighter days ahead, “the smile’s returning to there faces…here comes the sun, here comes the sun.” This song played in hospitals when someone with a Covid […]

MSO Virtual Concert March 18
MODESTO SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA TO PRESENT VIRTUAL CONCERT MARCH 18 MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO), led by Music Director Ryan Murray, will stream their virtual Spring Concert on Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 pm on the Modesto Symphony YouTube channel. The virtual concert will feature both MSYO orchestras performing movements from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Dvořák’s […]

Jazz Blues View: Soul Vaccination
Jazz/Blues View: Time to Get Your Soul Vaccination!By Eric Benson Alright my peeps time for all of us to get our Soul Vaccination. Tower of Power said it best; “All across the nation people been catch’ honkypox, when you get the notion Towers’s got the potion-you might look in to get yourself in motion…Everybody get […]

SongwriterView: I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song
SongwriterView: I’ll Have to Say l Love You in a SongBy Patty Castillo Davis Ahhhhhh, February.A month which brings to mind African American history, valentines, presidents and groundhogs. We are also nearing the grim anniversary of California’s first cases of the Coronavirus which led to Governor Newsom initiating a statewide order to shelter at home. […]

UnpluggedView: Thus Spoke Alzara, Thus, Art
Unplugged View: Thus Spoke Alzara, Thus, ArtBy Aaron Rowan Among the hundreds of gifted song crafters to pass through Modesto to appear at my listening-concert series, there is one with whom I have forged a particularly beautiful friendship. Alzara Getz belongs to a musical lineage that includes her father Dave Getz, who once kept the […]

MAMAView: New Year New View
MAMAView: New Year New ViewBy Middagh Goodwin It is a New Year, we have a new administration in the White House and soon after we go to print we will have a new Mayor right here in Modesto. Hopefully all these changes for a better future. Life is still in a holding pattern due to the […]

MSO Present Virtual Recital
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PRESENT PIANIST STEPHEN HOUGH VIRTUAL RECITAL JANUARY 14 MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will present a virtual recital featuring renowned pianist Stephen Hough and hosted by Associate Conductor Ryan Murray on Thursday, January 14 at 7:00 pm. The virtual performance will feature a variety of works by Bach, Schumann, and Liszt. “We were lucky […]

MAMAView: A New View
MAMAView: A New ViewBy Middagh Goodwin It is a new year a new decade, and usually, we would all be planning for great things in the months to come. We continue to be in the worse pandemic any of us have experienced in our lifetimes. Several vaccines present the proverbial light at the end of […]

Jazz BluesView: Things Will Get Better
Jazz/Blues View: Things Will Get Better By Eric Benson Well, 2020 certainly has been one of the most challenging years I have ever lived through bar none, With COVID, extreme heat, California on fire but sometimes you just got to roll with it. I continue to suspend disbelief and keep going forward. My job as […]

Annual Concert to Benefit Modesto Peace/Life Center
John McCutcheon performs live-streaming concert Jan. 9 to benefit Modesto Peace/Life Center Six-time Grammy nominated folk musician John McCutcheon has been performing a yearly benefit concert for the Peace/Life Center for nearly 20 years. This year the concert will be streaming on Sat., January 9 at 4PM Pacific Standard Time. Johnny Cash called John McCutcheon “the […]

2020 MAMA Awards
MAMA Awards 2020 As we bring this year to a close, we miss the days of live performances, great concerts and gathering to celebrate our amazing local music talent. This year everything was different. We had a season of webcasts, limited live gigs, modified festivals, new music and we now know what everyone’s living room, […]

Jazz BluesView: Happy Holidaze
Jazz BluesView: Happy HollidazeBy Eric Benson Happy Hollidaze! Well we are marshalling on with life and the music. Covid, extreme heat, California’s on fire and me, “lets jam out.” Not to minimalize the incredible hardship we are all going through but we have to continue to live our lives while also making sure everyone stays […]

Unplugged View: Music Box Superhero
Unplugged View: Music Box Superheroby Aaron Rowan “I can do this nightlife all day long.” – Garth Brooks If you have something fresh to offer as either a performing musician and/or as a presenter thereof; AND if you make it a priority to support and attend the events of others who do…you might be a […]

GoModesto: VMI Rocks
Go Modesto: VMI RocksThe Valley Music Institute year-end concerts will take place the year at Harvest Moon 1213 I St. Modesto, December Wednesday, 9 at 6 pm, Sunday 13 at 10 am, and 16 at 5 pm. Several bands from the school of rock will perform each night, schedule to be determined. Each year VMI […]