Music

Gangstagrass front man Rench reveals his top three Socially Sparked® moments of 2017. Throughout December, we revisit our Spotlight Artists and ask them to share what Socially Sparked® their lives this year. Emmy-nominated, Billboard Charting, singer/songwriter and activist, Rench -- also known as the producer and front man for bluegrass/hiphop ensemble Gangstagrass - has had [...]

December 10th shines blue for International Human Rights Day. The observance is held annually across the globe to mark the day in 1948 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year’s theme is “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights” -- chosen by the United Nations High Commissioner for [...]

The Recording Academy® reveals Grammy nominees for the 62nd Grammy® Awards live on CBS This Morning. This year's nominees reflect a melting pot of artistic innovation that defined the year in music and have Socially Sparked® our lives. The big reveal starts the countdown to music's biggest night®.  Recording Academy President/CEO, Deborah Dugan, Academy Chair [...]

GRAMMY® nominees announcement sparks the countdown to music's biggest night -- The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. It all starts tomorrow when the Recording Academy® joined by CBS host Gayle King and returning Awards host, 15-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer/songwriter, producer and global superstar Alicia Keys, reveal this year's nominees live on CBS This Morning at 8:20am, [...]

Back to the Harlem Future thru the lens. Actually, thru the double lens. You read it right. The First Annual Double Lens: Harlem Doc Fest kicks-off tonight at legendary uptown venue Harlem Stage. The free weekend-long festival runs thru Sunday, November 17th. It's presented in association with The Documentary Forum at The City College of [...]

Music salutes military and veterans is trending big now as in 2017, especially before the end of the year. The common thread -- to raise awareness and funds for our veterans -- while each musical effort is for varying charitable factions of the whole. We take a look back to our feature from 2017 in [...]

Let there be music, sweet emerging music says Mondo NYC at its fourth annual music and tech conference. This year’s outing took place by day in Brooklyn at The Williamsburg Hotel featuring inspiring speakers, panels and breakout sessions; by night, in music venues throughout lower Manhattan and Brooklyn showcasing emerging artists. EMERGING ARTISTS FROM AROUND [...]

Music’s political and social impact penetrates loudly today as it has in years past. Recent conversations coming out of this month's Mondo.NYC music and tech conference echo this philosophy at heightened decimal levels. "Music has the ability to shape perceptions among what is visible, thinkable and understandable," -- Rev. Al Sharpton MUSIC & POLITICS: A [...]

Mondo NYC ignites sparks in hip Williamsburg this week from October 15 thru 18.  The Brooklyn conference brings emerging music and frontier technology center stage mixed in with fireside chats, over 100 panels, workshops and, of course, music showcases laced throughout the big Apple and Brooklyn. Mondo NYC will be held daytime at the Williamsburg [...]

Legendary superstar drummer Ginger Baker dead at the age of 80. (August 19, 1937 - October 6, 2019). The English drummer socially sparked® our lives and his colleagues in the music industry in countless ways. "Ginger Baker" by Zoran Veselinovic is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker was a founder of the rock [...]

Baby, everything Linda Ronstadt is totally good and everyone can see why starting today with the opening of Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.  The documentary will run in select theaters nationwide including Los Angeles and New York City. Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice takes us on the legendary artist's journey as [...]

The marvelous Miles Davis finally gets a way cool biopic that exhumes the truth about the legendary man of jazz and more. Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool directed by Emmy Award-winning Director Stanley Nelson tells the true tale behind the music and legacy of the renowned horn player and composer who Socially Sparked® our [...]

Make music more intensely and more beautifully as a response to violence is the Socially Sparked Quote of the Week by American Composer/Conductor Leonard Bernstein. Leonard Bernstein has Socially Sparked® the world over. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim as a composer, conductor, author, educator, [...]

Here comes the Missy Elliott pop-up museum to delight fans with the ultimate interactive experience. In advance of Monday's Video Music Awards (VMAs), Pepsi and MTV are presenting a weekend-long experiential "Pop-Up Museum of Missy Elliott."  The weekend events are in celebration of the VMAs and its Honoree -- Missy Elliott -- who will receive [...]

Saluting jazz' legendary Bird, Charlie Parker in style. This weekend, the New York City Parks Foundation brings us the return of The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. Now in its 27th year, the summer festival  is a vibrant and free celebration of jazz in New York that annually brings together storied, veteran players and the next [...]

Uptown eateries shine during Harlem Restaurant Week in New York City. The 'Uptown Feast' as it is known runs from August 19th thru September 1st. There are over 40 participating restaurants. Harlem Restaurant Week is an exciting collaboration among the organizers of Harlem's most successful culinary themed events. Over 40 neighborhood restaurants and night spots [...]

The spirit of Woodstock lives on 50 years later and in perpetuity as people around the world celebrate the infamous three day music festival’s Anniversary. Despite several failed attempts to recreate the 1969 mega arts and music event, the old adage holds true: “you can’t keep a good thing down.” Or, in this case, a [...]

Vinyl lovers rejoice with over 550 new releases to choose from in honor of Record Store Day 2019. The annual event brings together independent record stores from around the world featuring a range of celebratory activities that offer special promotions, artist appearances, performances, give-a-ways and more. Now in its 12th year, Record Store Day (RSD) [...]

The third time’s a charm for France Rocks NYC, a summer music festival that brings the best of French produced music to NYC. The third annual France Rocks Summerfest kicks-off this weekend in New York City and runs through July 5. France Rocks founder Michele Amar tells us what to expect and how the music [...]

Music takes over NYC in June with the return of New York Music Month (NYMM). New Yorkers and tourists alike are sure to find an event to whet their musical tastes with a slew of events, concerts and festivals from indie rock and pop; classic rock, blues and jazz, to rap and hip hop – [...]