Roy Smeck: An Appreciation

Born in 1900 in Reading, Pennsylvania, Roy Smeck was a star of 1920’s and 30’s stage, screen and studio, and musical godfather to Eddie Van Halen.

From vaudeville to radio to theater appearances across the country to appearing in Hollywood films to inventing musical instruments to publishing music instruction books, this genius of the ukulele and lap steel guitar has literally done it all.

I’ll let the following videos further elucidate:

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2024/01/29/video-of-the-week-roy-smeck-shreds-on-the-ukulele/

Video of the Week: Devo–Letterman Interview

Video of the Week: Did Loretta Lynn Get Banned on Purpose?

On a Lighter Note…

Video of the Week: 90s Music vs Today

Why Do We Love the Music We Love?

(via Gizmodo) by Isaac Schultz

If you’ve ever made a playlist — for yourself or someone else — you’ve done the delicate dance of music curation. By what logic did you order the songs? What nearly made it on, but got left out, and why?

In This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You, storied sound engineer and cognitive psychologist Susan Rogers and mathematical neuroscientist Ogi Ogas explore the fundamental experience of music listening.

With surgical care, they walk the reader through the components of music, from technical aspects of music theory to abstract elements like intention and performativity, to get at the heart of where our music taste comes from.

When music gives us that special feeling — the “oh yes, THAT’S what I’m talking about” — it can be difficult to describe exactly why it spurs that emotion. We may lack the vocabulary to explain which elements of the music really worked for us. Sometimes, when music does its job perfectly, it transcends explanation entirely…

Read more: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2022/11/why-do-we-love-the-music-we-love/

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