Some of us are born with a nice singing voice, but regardless of natural ability there are things we can do that will improve our...

Certain cities ooze an ephemeral quality of “culture” and it can be tricky to explain exactly why. But then other times it’s clear how...

An interesting side effect of this switch to streaming services on our phones and tablets is that I watch TV with headphones on a lot...

I had an auditory flashback whereby I realized why Bowie’s 1971 Life on Mars always felt familiar to me yet not quite right. Because I...

I love music. I love all kinds of music. But music in context. I’m not going to blast you with opera singing when you’re trying to eat...

I’m doing a production of Madama Butterfly and the set and costume design are what I’ve dubbed “impressionistic” Japanese. We hint at the...

That moment when you realize that Mitzi Gaynor borrowed from Brazilian Afro-Samba. Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes “Canto De Ossanha”...

My maternal great aunt Hermine is a spitfire who has always amazed the family with her abundant energy and stubborn streak. She is tiny....

Governor’s Island, New York City hosted a vintage French carnival this summer. I rode a  Vélocipèdes and took in the sights and sounds...

The French have developed a friendly sort of relationship with fleas. Of the many creatures that historically live around humans, the...

In my family, you can be a physician or a musician, but you can rarely be both. My cousin Sophie Bourgeois is extraordinary for managing...

The French embraced jazz music very early. It may have been that there was a direct pipeline from the  cradle of New Orleans to the...

I’m just going to keep dancing while it rains. #MiriamMakeba #happiness #music #Brazil #1970s

Many things annoyed me about the movie Prometheus. In addition to the swiss-cheese plot and irrational scientists the music took me out...

Allow me to reflect on the irrepressibly quirky character of Dean Pelton on the TV show, Community. The work of Jim Rash is superb. The...

Pop singing isn’t really singing. I love pop music, don’t misunderstand me here. I love dancing to pop and playing it in the background...

I’d heard that the operas of Richard Wagner are addictive, yet I was hesitant about settling in for six hours of Teutonic posturing. I’ll...