This blog is set up for you the reader to select what topics or genres of music that you would like to learn about and discover. I was keenly aware when I was teaching music to kids about how some students were turned off from learning about music because of the sometimes strict and rigid guidelines of the curriculum, especially in classical music and the constant repetition of scales and rudiments.

I changed my teaching habits to adhere to the interests of the pupil. If the student was turned off about classical music and say the Hannon exercises and variations, I would ask “what type of music do you like?”

Many times the reply would be a current song on the radio like Billy Joel or Metallica, Jay Z or Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus. I would take the opportunity to teach them the aspects of their favorite music, no matter what it might be, even Hip Hop to the frantic rhythms of Death Metal. As the lessons progressed, I would make subtle suggestions of other artists, songs and eventually genres unknown to the student, which led to fantastic results.

With music I have found that many people have very specific tastes and likes. They would tend to stick with specific genres and would consider other genres pure noise. Some people would only listen to the music of their youth and what they grew up on and would resist newer music. Some people would be multi-genre, such as myself, and would be hungry to discover newer and/or older music than the contemporary.

As a child of nine years, I remember disliking Swing Jazz or say the music of Frank Sinatra, in favor of the rock group Kiss or some rock group marketed to young kids. I have since changed these prejudices. I would remember at first disliking a form of music like Country & Western music immensely only to later fully embrace and enjoy the previously hated music.

Now, not everyone can change their tastes and there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion. To this day, there is still some music and specific songs that I cannot enjoy as well as some music that has fallen out of my favor over the years. You like what you like and that is that. It would be unfair for me to consider you uncultured, rigid or lesser of a person just because of your musical tastes.

This blog is set up for you to start with what you like, because of space and scope of study, I am focusing on the Rock Era which is roughly the late 40s to the mid 0’s and the myriad of genres and sub-genres in between these 50 plus years. I have divided up the genres to appeal to the readers’ and listeners’ distinctions between these genres such as differences between Disco and Heavy Metal, Country Rock and 80’s Pop and/or the subtle (or not so subtle) differences between say 50s Rock & Roll and Rock Music of the 60s.

I have subdivided the genres into categories that you can easily find in this blog. I have also included a page of detailed charts of all the genres I intend to cover and where you can find other eras and scopes of study like the Jazz Era of the early 20th century (1890s to the 1950s) or what I am calling the Hip Hop Era (mid 1990s to the present).

I hope to give you the details of the music and genres you love, the stories of your favorite artists, detailed discussions on the genres you may or may not already know and to perhaps turn you on to genres you may not be familiar with at all. Again the choices are up to you, I am merely writing it all up to gear it to your tastes. I will also like to teach you the very basics of music theory and rhythm, specifically catering to the lay person or non-musician using my experience as a music teacher to very young kids and to beginner adults.

I have also teamed up with music providers like iTunes to give you links to go straight to the songs being discussed which you can sample and buy. I can also give you advice on how to get rarities and give you insight on collectibles in other formats like old 45’s and LP’s. I am here for you took pick my brain, so I encourage you to contact me to ask anything you’d like about music.

So dive right in and check out this wonderful and vast array of music that has shaped and changed the structure and social constraints of America in the 20th century. I hope to hear from you!

Pulse