Calling All Music Fans!
Welcome!
Unsure where to channel your creativity?
Believe in a myth that you have no creativity?
Want to add more spark to your life?
Read on
Road Trippin’ to Music
It’s hard to imagine someone not liking music. For me, the blend of words and melodies triggers my tank. My earliest memories of music, mood, and story include Mom listening to the Karl Haas radio program while she worked. She also played records to entertain me and my siblings. I danced to Mary Poppins, learned to tell time to a 60’s Disney record, read along to Peter Pan, and hid under a blanket when Thumbelina was played.
I remember raking the yard for a week, so I could afford my first album, Goofy Greats. I kept at it, raking yards and expanding my record collection. After a long stint of 70s rock and a sorry assortment of 80s tunes, my older brother exposed me to punk and funk and techno beat. Now, my musical tastes shift depending on my mood and time of day.
Fortunately, I married someone who loves music as much as I do. This week, we on a musical extravaganza. We began in Nashville, continued to Memphis, then spent some time driving through the heart of the Blues, and landed in New Orleans for Jazzfest. Whoop!
Music inspires creativity. It develops mood. Depending on what you listen to, music can stimulate the brain or relax the body. Lyrics are poetry, as are sounds. If you find yourself stuck, whether it’s in a creative pursuit, a spiritual lull, or a work situation, tap into music to find a new direction. It works.
I’ve put together some musical artists to check out. I apologize if you disagree with their genre, as many artists cross lines. I’m not a big fan of categories, but in this case, it seems helpful.
Jazz: Billie Holiday, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ella Fitzgerald, Joey Alexander, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Ambrose Akinmusire, Duke Ellington, Pat Metheny
EDM: Odesza, Pretty Lights, Alison Wonderland, Disclosure, GRiZ, Boogie T.RIO, Polo & Pan
R&B and Pop: Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Madonna, BTS, The Weekend, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Harry Styles, Doja Cat, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears
Bluegrass/Newgrass: String Cheese Incident, Infamous String Dusters, Sam Bush, Alison Krauss, Katelyn Getaway, Old Crow Medicine Show
Early alternative: David Bowie, Brownski Beat, Kraftwerk, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, Blondie, Pearl Jam, Grace Jones
Hip Hop/Rap: OutKast, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Nick Manaj, Mac Miller, Jungle
Indigenous: R. Carlos Nakai, Yothu Yindi, Nahko Bear, Tanya Tagaq, Bodhi Spirit, Nu Meditatey
Reggae: Steel Pulse, Bob Marley & theWailers, Holly Cook, UB40, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Heptones
Classical: Bach, Yo-Yo Ma, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Kyung Wha Chung, Stravinsky, Anastasia Kobekina, Mozart, Midori Goto
Celtic +: Hozier, Sinead O’Connor, Dubliners, Celtic Women, Peelers, NATI., Flogging Molly
Disco: Chaka Kahn, Bee Gees, ABBA, Chic, Village People, Gloria Gaynor
Classic Rock/Rock/Folk/: Patti Smith, Rolling Stones, Queen, Stevie Nicks, The Who, Steve Miller Band, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Eagles, The Cars, Carol King, John Denver, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bad Company, Joe Walsh, Foreigner, Lou Reed, Allman Brothers, Robert Plant, Boston, Santana, Heart, Yes, Kiss, Genesis, Journey, Aretha Franklin, The Cars, Steely Dan, CSN&Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Eric Clapton, Sinead O’Connor, Billy Joel, Peter, Paul and Mary, Elton John, The Band, Tina Turner, Police, Cher, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater, Bruce Springsteen, Melissa Etheridge, Van Halen, Bob Dylan, Pat Benatar, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, John Legend
Metal: AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue
Latin: Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny, Selena, Buena Vista Social Club
Metal: AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue
Indian: Aayush Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor, KSHMR, Dehli 6, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Parvaaz
Country: Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Jon Pardi, Shania Twain, Loretta Lynn
African and Beat Drum: Tarshito, Godfrey Mgcina, Clint Mansell, Micky Hart, Drissa Kone, Cler Achel, Imarhan
New Orleans: All of the above, and also: Dr. John, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Neville Brothers, Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste, Jon Cleary The Soul Rebels, Ingrid Lucia, Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
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Creative Inspiration
In honor of my roadtrip, I’m sending you to New Orleans.
To Unleash Your Creativity, check out Preservation Hall and the line up to this year’s jazz festival…. more music to fill your soul!
Thanks for reading! If you know someone interested in creative endeavors, please forward this on!
Yours in spirited creativity,