Exploring the Roots of Music, Musicianship and Listening: 7 Video Channels
Video channels can be a deep source for learning about musicians, understanding the roots and evolution of musical styles, gaining tips for becoming a better musician, and increasing listening enjoyment. Music is enriching. This list explores video channels (and a website and blog) with a focus on the musical life, the cross pollination of musical genres and understanding music.
1. Finding Your Own Sound
Ted Talks: www.ted.com
Musicians who are just starting out are usually on the quest to “find their own sound.” Many accomplished musicians can be identified by the sound of a few notes. These two videos from the Ted.com are sure to inspire and amaze:
- James Burchfield delivers the sound of turntables, drum machines and beat box — with his voice — in this astounding video “Playing with Invisible Turntables.”
- Naturally 7 draws on R&B, Soul, Jazz, A Cappella and Hip-Hop among other styles. Along with choreography, they hypnotize audiences with a unique experience, as in “A Full-Band Beatbox.”
2. Interviews with successful studio musicians
Music industry veterans Dave Durocher and George Marinelli interview people who are session players — the “musician’s musicians” — behind successful studio recordings of the last three decades. Learn why session players often play guitar, drums, piano, bass, tuba and a variety of other instruments. These players have supported Bruce Springsteen to Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles to The Meters, and Carl Perkins to Willie Nelson. They share tips for success, perspectives on the music business, insights into their influences, and experiences with producers and artists.
Featuring: Jim Hoke, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Bill Lloyd, George Marinelli, Vince Santoro, and Garry Tallent as of January 2016.
3. Rock, Blues and Reggae Merge
A confluence of musical genres emerge on the behind-the-scenes recording of “Everywhere I Go,” from the album, “Looking into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne.” Backed by prolific studio and road musicians, this group is fluent in any genre, from R&B to Blues, Funk to World Music, Rock to Celtic, and Pop to New Orleans, with styles in between.
Featuring: Bonnie Raitt, David Lindley, and George Marinelli, electric guitars; James “Hutch” Hutchinson, electric bass; Ricky Fataar, drums and percussion; and Michael Finnigan, Hammond B3 Organ and clavinet.
4. Glimpse the Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll
When we think of the roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll, we may think of the American musicians who inspired the Rolling Stones. As youths in England, the Stones scoured the record shops for the rural blues of the south and the electrified sounds of Chicago and Memphis. Their hit “Time is on My Side” was originally recorded by Irma Thomas, of New Orleans.
Innovations in guitars and amplifiers contributed to new sounds. The legendary G.E. Smith performs “The Full History of the Electric Guitar in One Song,” from the Smithsonian Channel.
An extensive archive of interviews with musicians, including G.E. Smith, can be found at the The Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television.
5. New Orleans Musical Influences: The Piano
Professor Longhair invented a creative and unique piano style. His legacy shines brightly, especially in New Orleans. Allen Toussaint explains, “America had many pits of music they can claim, but I feel New Orleans is the strongest.” Toussaint demonstrates how the inventions of Professor Longhair are similar to Bach’s. He concludes with an original composition made under the influence of “Fess.”
Pianist Jon Cleary gives a short history lesson on New Orleans music on the Path06 Channel. He explains New Orleans rhythms, and the ingredients of Cuban music, Rumba, Jazz, Boogie Woogie, Funk and Gospel that contribute to the New Orleans sound. As he concludes with Professor Longhair, Huey Smith and the influence of second line parades, one could feel like he’s just getting started.
Pianist Henry Butler, who lived in Colorado after Hurricane Katrina, has a blog which delves further into the music of New Orleans.
6. Musical Forms: The Raga
Indian music includes pieces meant for listening at a certain time of day or season of the year. Sitarist Anoushka Shankar briefly explains Ragas and the difference between a raga scale and a mode. Notice how she plays along the length of the string — a technique often found in “world music.” Shankar is the daughter of the late sitarist Ravi Shankar, who inspired the Beatles, especially George Harrison. The late Ravi was among the first to bring Indian music to a worldwide audience. Anoushka makes her own global imprint, performing on both traditional and electric sitars.
7. Enjoy the Journey: A Glimpse of Life on a Road Tour
Have you ever been in a parking lot after the show, when the gear’s packed up and band and crew are ready to go? Have the idling trucks and buses made the road call your name, with a yearning to climb aboard for the experience? The next best thing can be found in this artful visual and musical experience, created by Black Balloon. Enjoy this Official Lyric Video of the “Gypsy in Me,” the title cut from Bonnie Raitt’s February 2016 album.
