Before the 1982 NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Earl Cureton had no idea when he might play in the series. But instead of focusing on what he didn’t know, the backup forward-center for the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers focused on what he could. Stay ready, observe the game. Don’t lose sight of how to help, even in small doses. It doesn’t matter that you’re a reserve on the sidelines, Cureton told himself. Still, the experience was jarring; his first time in the league’s final series. The playoffs are a different animal compared to the regular season and the NBA finals are even more pressurized. Though this all swirled in Cureton’s mind some 40 years ago, the task remains the same for players today. Indeed, in this year’s NBA finals, players like Denver’s Bruce Brown Jr and Miami’s Duncan Robinson will undertake crucial roles coming off the bench for their squads. But what exactly does it take to excel as a backup in the league – especially in June?
Read More
The metaverse is the future of gaming.
A bold statement perhaps, but the alternative digital universe allows people to interact with one another online in a variety of ways, from trading information and cryptocurrency to engaging socially and playing games — all from the comfort of home. Today, many of us are on the web via phones or laptops. In the near future, we may don VR headsets and find ourselves in new, all-encompassing worlds, some even of our own creation.
Metaverse gaming in particular is predicted to be one of the hot new trends in the coming years, but even now, there are myriad options. Gamers can become virtual miners, farmers, warriors, parents, pet owners, goalkeepers in the World Cup or pilots in outer space.
Ready to be transported into an alternate reality? Here are some of the top titles that do just that.
Read More
The most fundamental part of being a songwriter is, of course, writing the songs. But the most important part of being a performer doesn’t always have to be the source material. The performance is the important part.
So, what are the ways that popular, successful, in-demand artists make sure to keep their live performances in top shape? Thao Nguyen to K.Flay, Ayron Jones, Emily James, Olivia Jean and more share their thoughts with American Songwriter.
Read More
With the NBA’s final four set, let’s take a look at the matchups as the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets battle for the title
Read More
What happens when you achieve your dream? The immediate assumption is that it’s all gravy, that life couldn’t be sweeter. But the reality is often much more difficult. Do you rest on your laurels? Do you get up and try to do more—and, if so, at what cost? The trio of sisters who comprise the harmony-driven Portland, Oregon-born band Joseph are finding out the answers to those questions today.
Founded by eldest sister Natalie Closner and including twins Allison Closner and Meegan Closner, Joseph has known high highs and rocky lows. To date, the group has released four acclaimed LPs and three EPs, with their latest, The Sun, set to drop on April 28. But the new album’s title represents something of a breakthrough. It’s the thesis for the band as its members try and figure out who they are and what they want to do after achieving big tours and millions of song streams.
Read More
It’s funny; sometimes the closer you are to something, the harder it is to remember how special it can be. It’s the root of the phrase, Absence makes the heart grow fonder. For the Swedish-born folk duo, First Aid Kit, they know this maxim well. Comprised of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, the group is known for its precise lyrical songwriting and blissful, angelic harmonies. But growing up, as the two sang together around the house, they didn’t think much of their vocal blend. It wasn’t until audiences raved and offered standing ovations that they knew they had something unique and lovely.
Read More
In the world of stringed instruments, it’s a common question. After all, at first glance, a fiddle and a violin look alike. They seem to sound the same, too, when it comes to tone and range. But there must be a clear distinction, right?
Actually, no. In fact, there is no significant physical difference between the instruments. Rather, what demarcates the two is mostly the music being played and the musical approach being taken. When playing folk, country or bluegrass, for example, the instrument is understood to be a fiddle, but when playing classical music, it’s a violin. Want to know more? Keep reading …
Read More
There are few professions in which your career will almost certainly be over by the time you’re in your late 30s. Yet, in professional basketball this is the case. The game is just too fast, too physical for someone who has lost a step. It’s tough to swap the excitement and money for a more humdrum life. Some in professional sports, including Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, have even likened retirement to “death”.
So, how do NBA players decide when it’s time to go? It’s helpful to look to the man who played the most games in league history (1,611 in the regular season and 184 more in the playoffs), Boston Celtic great and four-time NBA champion, Robert Parish. If anyone knows, it’s him.
Read More
Johanna and Klara Söderberg, the Swedish sister duo better known as First Aid Kit, have been making musical waves since the early 2000s. Ever since they released a cover of “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” by the harmony-driven band Fleet Foxes, they’ve been on the map for many a rabid fan. Since then, they’ve released beloved albums, including the 2012 LP, The Lion’s Roar. But just as the duo is modern and impactful today, you could easily convince someone who has never heard them that they are from a past time—the 1960s or maybe even as far back as the 15th century. The duo returned in 2022 with another addition to their ethereal discography, releasing Palomino in November.
Read More
It seems impossible to believe, but there was a time when basketball largely forbade the dunk. From 1967 to 1976, high school and college players were outlawed from slamming the ball through the rim. Instead, they would have to lay the ball up or simply drop it through the hoop as they soared through the air. Now, as we look forward to this weekend’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, the ban seems silly, especially when considering the eye-popping highlights created by the likes of Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Shawn Kemp and Vince Carter.
But such was the state of things a half-century ago. In an era when the game was changing rapidly, when players like the 7ft 2in Kareem-Abdul Jabbar were dominating instead of the shorter, more ground-bond hoopers like Bob Cousy, the dunk was seen as taboo among “purists,” against the very nature of basketball itself. Though that perspective wasn’t shared by many of the players.
Read More
To tell the origin story of video games, we must look at the early days of computers. In the 1950s, engineers began to use rudimentary machines to design simple games to play. A big breakthrough came in 1962 when MIT student Steve Russell, along with friends, created Spacewar! This title featured controllable spaceships that had to avoid a star’s “gravity” while also engaging in battle against one another.
Though having no real commercial success (its popularity was limited to the relatively small programming community of the era), Spacewar! was so impactful that it is now in the Library of Congress. In the following decade, more innovation took place, with a preponderance of hugely popular games (and their theme songs) like Pong, Space-Invaders and Pac-Man. But it wouldn’t stop there. In this article, we’ll examine the origins of the video game industry and track its massive development. Today, it is a billion-dollar tech enterprise, providing unique experiences made even more immersive when enjoyed with gaming headsets like the Yamaha YH-G01.
Read More
Hearing the sounds of your favorite video game can often be just as important as seeing the visuals. But audio quality can be a tricky matter. Without the right equipment, an attacking army soldier may miss an instruction from a captain, or Mario might not hear the turtle shell shot from Luigi’s go-kart before it’s far too late.
There are other reasons why audio matters when it comes to gaming. What if the other people in the room are making distracting noises, or don’t want to hear you playing? What if your fellow gamers are talking to you on the phone but it sounds more like shouting? Gaming headsets provide the perfect solution.
Here’s a guide to the benefits of using a gaming headset like the Yamaha YH-G01, and the reasons why this simple add-on can help fine-tune and improve your gaming experience.
Read More
What is it like to be a musician and be on the road while pregnant?
It’s not something everyone gets to experience. At first glance, the concept seems immensely difficult. How can you keep a creative life going while caring for someone else? How can you tour? How can you even hold a guitar in your third trimester?
There are a lot of questions.
We reached out to three accomplished musical mothers to get some answers. Here, find out what Shana Cleveland of La Luz, solo artist Tekla Waterfield, and Julia Massey of Warren Dunes have to say about what it’s like to create and raise a child, all while being a kick-butt musician.
Read More
Getting together with family for the holidays is about catching up and reconnecting. But sometimes that requires a little something extra — a hearth, of sorts, to gather around. Generations ago that meant a literal fireplace, but today we have even more dazzling options … like video games.
Here are eight of the most family-friendly offerings, all of which are sure to delight and engage players of every skill level. Gather around the game console and enjoy the holidays!
Read More
In today’s digital age, if you’re friends with someone who hunts live game, chances are you’ve had this experience: scrolling through your social media platform of choice when bam a photo comes across your screen of your compatriot holding up a deer he or she has killed with a rifle or bow-and-arrow. At that moment, you may experience what many others do (especially if you, yourself, are not a hunter). You may balk or cringe to see death so up close.
But what happens if this friend is not just a pal but someone you follow for entertainment, too? Is it possible to silo these two endeavors, or do you block the artist’s hunting posts outright? Or can you go further inward and wonder why you have this sense of shock from hunting in a world filled with farm fishing, factory farms with chickens lined up in cages, with pigs and cows slaughtered every day for fast food burgers, bacon, and even filet mignon? How is this all rectified?
For musicians Brett Benton and Miller Campbell, who are both avid, respectful hunters, as well as talented, acclaimed songwriters and performers, this dichotomy is an everyday experience.
Read More