Rock School

"Last month two major concert promotors stated their venues and concerts by their artists will be for those who are vaccinated only. This command is running up against laws in many conservative states and cities that forbid such a rule. The rule seems good intentioned but the reality is much different and may do far more harm than good."

"The baby on the cover of the Nirvana Nevermind album is now 30 years old and he is suing everyone involved in the album for pornography even though he has posed and profited off the album for decades. It reads like a money grab but has anyone else sued bands and artists for their album covers? Yes. We have a long list this week."

"This week we are going to to talk about some of the golden days in music video. Many well known stars got their start in a big music video. We have a list and a half for you. So, have a computer handy and look up some of these videos to see some big stars at the beginning of it all."

"Earlier this year, we did a show on the topics of folk songs and while researching that show, we found a lot of songs outside the folk genre that were based on news events, mostly murders. This is a show put together discussing those songs."

"The FreeBritney movement has been active lately calling for the singer to be free of her father. But should she be? Why was she put under a conservatorship in the first place and has she done things that suggest she should stay under it? Moreover, what other musicians are under a conservatorship of his or her own."

"This week, we are not talking about songs that were featured in movies, rather, songs that were written because a movie the artist saw, prompted it, either title, lyrics or feel. There are a lot, far more than what we will list here. Action!"

"This week, we will tell you the story behind some of the best known band logos. From Dancing Bears to the Van Halen wings belonging to someone else to the specific fonts you have come to know and love. We have a lot of them."

"What is the future of music? Could it be music made only for you, by a computer that knows and monitors you? THat way it plays you the exact music you want at that time. New songs by bands that broke up or members are dead. A computer made a new Nirvana song. A new Queen song. Does it sound impossible? It is happening right now."

"In the 90s, Biz Markie was a popular rapper with a top 10 hit. Then he used the song Alone Again by Gilbert OSullivan. He was sued not only for copyright but for theft. The lawsuit sent shockwaves through the Rap community. It is said that 1000s of songs are sitting on shelves because the samples made them too expensive to release. And it is all because of this one lawsuit. We will tell you then...

"You have heard of the KISS Army, right? That is what KISS fans call themselves. But did you know that other bands and musicians also have nicknames for their fan base? It is not just a few. We have pages and pages of them. Like Slipknot? You are a Maggot. Like Green Day? You are an Idiot. Like Gary Numan? You are a Numanoid. Like 21 Pilots? You are part of the Skeleton Click. It goes on. Hopefull...

"If you have ever posted content to YouTube that contains music, there is a good chance you've had a ContentID interaction. You could have received a strike or a Takedown Notice or even had your entire site taken down. What started out as a method of copyright protection has become something people do not like because too often it is being abused by publishing companies. We will try to explain it...

"Welcome to week two of Bad Managers. There are simply so many stories of managers messing over their clients that we had to make two shows out of it. This is number two. Enjoy."

"There is a trivia questions goes around asking, what is the first posthumous number one hit? The answer that is probably expected is Sittin on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. But, it is? A bit of research suggests it is third and taking some other factors into account, it may be even farther down the list. This week we will look at posthumous hits, both number ones and some others that are m...

"Think of your favorite Motown song. If there is a flute or piccolo on that song, it was played by Dayna Hartwick. For close to a decade, she was on Berry Gordys speed dial. Rockin Robin. Whats Going on. Kung Fu Fighting. It is all her and in a two part interview, she discusses going from being a child prodigy to sitting in Motown Studio A and playing on some of the biggest songs to ever come out...

"This is the second part of our facinating interview with the flutist for Motown, Dayna Hartwick. Think of a classic hit for Motown and she played either the flute or the piccolo for it. This week we talk about the end of her time at Motown and her going on tour with massive traveling Broadway productions. That little girl from Motown. Dayna Hartwick."

"Musicians, especially stringed instrument musicians, have a better than 80 percent chance of developing Trigger Finger. I know. I had it and at the time of the recording of this show, I am only three days out of surgery for it. This week, we will discuss what it is, how you can diagnose it and what your choices are if you indeed do have it. We will tell the story of musicians who have had it as w...

"This week we will discuss stories about bands that will not play their hit in concert. Often the band or artist has a decent reason but sometimes it is just rock star excess."

"NFT stands for Non Fungible Token. It is a method of proving that a digital thing is the first copy. It works somewhat like a Cryptocurrency. And it is the hottest thing with Indy music people right now. Is it the next big thing? Will it die off like Pet Rocks? No one knows but right, it is hot. We will do out best to explain it all."

"Just for fun, we collected a bunch of musician appearances on Sesame Street. The sonigs are nice and short so we were able to play many more songs than we usually play and there are a lot. So, I cannot tell you how to get to Sesame Street but I can sure play the music for you."

"Phoebe Bridgers smashed her guitar on Saturday Night Live back in February. It was a stunt for sure but then it sold for over 100,000 at a GLAAD auction. She is only the last in a long line of guitar smashers. It became popular in the 60s and survives to this day. So, let us take a smashing look at the practice."

"We were in a conversation about musicians reusing their own lyrics. We found so many examples that I though there had to be a name for this. There is. Contrafactum. There's a related word that means to use the music of another song for your own composition, dramatically changing the sound of the tune. Contrafact. We have multiple examples of each and I am sure you will start thinking some we miss...

"WBIJ-DB is the first digital radio station to pick up the Rock School Radio Show. Since I knew nothing about digital radio, I thought an interview with the owners was required. Alan and Sharon explain everything I want to know and I believe you will find it as interesting as I did"

"It is a well known music trope that managers often do NOT do well by their clients. In fact, it happens so often, we are going to do two shows out of it. And we are not taking our time. I am reading and talking as fast as I can and over two shows, we still left some out. They are heartbreaking stories that actually happened."

"This week was inspired by the Spinal Tap debut back in 1984. Once I started doing the research, there was simply a large group of bands that are basically parodies of other bands and genres. So, for no better reason than for fun, here are a bunch of them."

"So, what was the first Music Video? I don't mean the first video on Mtv but the real first video? No one knows for sure but we will take our best shot at it. See if you agree."