Tyler Booth Looks Inward to Look Outward

When someone sits down to write a new song, much can go through their mind. Many, hoping to write a hit track that the world enjoys, think about that very fact. They wonder something like, How can I write the most popular song ever? But this aim is folly, of course. The real—and only—way to write something that resonates with people is to write something that resonates with a single person. Namely, yourself. For the Kentucky-born songwriter and performer Tyler Booth, who is experiencing a moment of late, that was his chosen route. Now, Booth is set to release his newest EP, Keep It Real, on Friday (September 15). It’s a record that is both of him and boundary-pushing. Just as it should be.

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Money, social media and trust issues: why loneliness stalks the NBA

Making it to the NBA is a dream come true. Fans can see it on the faces of the players on draft day when their names are called. They arrive at the podium with visions of celebrity, multimillion dollar paydays and glamor as they shake the commissioner’s hand. But no matter how exciting the prospect is of playing in the league, there is more to being human than simply providing entertainment for big bucks. So, what happens when the dream fades and issues of loneliness and trust become part of a person’s day-to-day?

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EssayJake UittiThe Guardian
Trumpet vs. Trombone

When thinking about learning to play a new instrument, it’s important to consider all the options. For instance, what kind of music do you want to play? What is your budget? What type of instrument (i.e., wind, string, keyboard, percussion) holds a personal appeal for you?

Historically, two favorites amongst students have been the trumpet and trombone. These expressive brass instruments are often featured prominently in school bands and orchestras, as well as jazz ensembles and even some rock groups. But what are the differences between the two? And what makes one right for one player and another better for someone else? Let’s learn the answers to these important questions.

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EssayJake UittiYamaha
Tree Rollins, Shaq and the end of the NBA’s player-coach era

When NBA veteran Tree Rollins got a call from his old friend Brian Hill in the summer of 1993, the wheels started to turn. Hill was the new coach of the Orlando Magic, a team that included a young Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. Hill wanted Rollins to come in as an assistant to work with O’Neal, specifically. The 7ft 1in Rollins, who had just come off two seasons with the Houston Rockets backing up Hakeem Olajuwon, contemplated the offer and after a few weeks accepted. For Rollins, in his late 30s, it was a great chance to start the second phase of his basketball life. Little did he know, however, what it would soon turn into.

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Up at 4.45am, head home at 11pm: life as an NBA player trying to break through

It’s the peak of the summer. But Jason Preston, the young point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers, wakes up at 4.45am. At a time when other 24-year-olds are sleeping in – or still out on the town – Preston is stretching. Then he has some breakfast – nothing decadent – a meal to carry him through his upcoming morning workout. It doesn’t end there, though. Preston has a full day ahead, then it’s early to bed all over again. Such is the life of a young player trying to make an impact in the NBA.

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Greta Van Fleet Manifesting the Cornucopia

Treetop-touching vocalist Josh Kiszka says the new album that he and his Greta Van Fleet bandmates have put together, Starcatcher, had less to do with tracking and more to do with transcendence. In other words, he says, the album seemed simply to discover itself as he and his compatriots listened. To keep up with it, the musicians harbored an open mind and a taste for the essential aspects of each song, from the bones of the compositions to the theories behind the lyrics. It was a metaphysical trip as much as a musical one. 

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Michael Bolton Grateful For It All

Michael Bolton couldn’t turn down the opportunity. He’d worked his whole life for something like this—to meet the great opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. And to sing with him? Impossible to imagine. Especially considering those days before fame was a gold ring to even contemplate trying to grasp. When the reality of having to support a wife and three kids weighed quite heavily. But through hard work—indeed, cutting two career paths at once—everything shook out for Bolton. So much so that he not only shared some sonic space with Pavarotti, but the iconic opera performer even offered the pop star a compliment. 

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Top Tips for Playing in Your First Band

Joining your first band is a momentous occasion! I should know; I joined mine some 15 years ago and it’s given me a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet people, make friends and have fun.

But while playing in a band can be exhilarating, it can also be daunting. There are plenty of responsibilities to consider, like finding time to practice, communicating with bandmates, studying music, contributing new ideas, and improving your technique. Whether it’s school orchestra, jazz band or ensemble, or just a bunch of friends that you want to share mutual musical interests with, here are some helpful tips to get things started right.

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EssayJake UittiYamaha
Satnam Singh: India’s first NBA player makes the leap into pro wrestling

Satnam Singh wouldn’t hurt a fly. Unless, of course, it was his wrestling opponent for a match in front of a cheering All Elite Wrestling crowd. Then, he might give the insect a little love tap or two. Still, though, Singh would inevitably play nice. No tearing off wings, no smashing under a frying pan. The 7ft 4in and 360lb former professional basketball player and current professional wrestler is as gentle a giant as they come in daily life. Singh is kind, considerate. Easily likable. Patience, he says, is a prized virtue. At the same time, he knows the magnificent power that’s in just his two hands. They could, without hyperbole, terminate someone in a blink – let alone a buzzing fly. Singh knows the strength of his hands from experience. Back in India where he was born, he lost his temper one day on the basketball court as a youth. He struck a then-smack-talking friend with what Singh says was merely 5% to 10% of his strength. A simple slap across the face. But his friend was knocked out cold and wouldn’t immediately wake up. In that moment, Singh knew he had to be careful. He’s never been in a skirmish since.

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Herb Alpert: Feeling 88 Years Young

Herb Alpert, the 88-year-old award-winning musician, and former record executive, recently experienced something for the first time. One of his songs, “Ladyfingers,” from his iconic album Whipped Cream & Other Delights, became a hit again in a new way, thanks to the social media platform TikTok. For someone who rose to fame in the 1960s, even outselling the Beatles for a stint, the idea that a fast-paced digital arena like TikTok would be a factor in his life is, admittedly, odd. However, the Alpert song went viral and garnered 100 million streams. Staggering. The album the song is on sold some 14 million copies upon its release in 1965—a number that helped make the trumpet-playing Alpert famous in his heyday. But 100 million streams? That’s almost impossible to imagine, especially for someone who remembers recording music even before one-track tape players were around. 

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Eshu Tune (Hannibal Buress) is Getting Stronger, Releases New Single “I Lift Weights”

Hannibal Buress has a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Chicago-born actor and comedian has achieved the nearly unthinkable: a successful and respected career in Hollywood. He can tour around the globe, and hook onto any franchise. He’s made his career and he’s good at what he does. So, why then, one might wonder, would Buress ever venture into some other new project? Why risk rocking the boat? Well, because he wants to rock the crowd. That’s right, for the past year-plus Buress has been putting his nose to the grindstone, sharpening his chops in another art form: music.

Under the moniker Eshu Tune, he’s been producing beats, writing rhymes, and weaving them both into his live shows. These days, he says, he’s done “way more” music performances than comedy. Like a bodybuilder, Buress has been strengthening new muscles. Perhaps then, it’s no coincidence that his newest song is titled “I Lift Weights,” and it’s out today (June 5). 

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‘Hamilton’ Star Daveed Diggs Hosts New Audible Singing Competition ‘Breakthrough’

You wouldn’t know it from his bombastic stage performances, but Daveed Diggs thinks of himself as shy. In Oakland, California, he grew up shy and he still is that way today, he says.

One of the stars of the recent Disney live-action version of The Little Mermaid (Diggs plays Sebastian, the crab), the musician-actor-and-personality would make up skits as a kid, like for his mother, who worked nights as a club DJ, or other family members around the house. Looking back on it, Diggs says, he’s not entirely sure where this instinct came from, but it’s nevertheless emblematic of his constant desire to perform, even from a young age.

Diggs found a home in the theater, working his way up and landing a role in the now-legendary musical, Hamilton, playing both Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette. And Diggs’ next project is hosting to new singing competition podcast from Audible, Breakthrough, which launched June 1.

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Always be in the ballgame’: how bench players can tilt the NBA finals

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?

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