Category Archives: Music

Some songwriting magic

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Katherine Wikoff

Have you played the online game of Heardle? It’s obviously similar to the smash hit Wordle in that a new short puzzle appears daily. At some point in the last several months I began playing both of those games plus … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Life, Music, Popular culture | Tagged | 2 Comments

A chance encounter with “Tubular Bells”

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Katherine Wikoff

Heard this old song on the radio driving home today. It has literally been YEARS since I’ve heard it or even thought about it. The song, “Tubular Bells,” was released in 1973 and went on to be used as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, History, Media studies, Movies and film, Music, Popular culture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

4 chords to rule them all

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

I remember thinking when I was about 11 or 12 years old that pretty soon there would be no new music. Because how could people possibly continue creating new songs? There was only an octave’s worth of notes, iterated multiple … Continue reading →

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My favorite Chicago song

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

I was actually singing an Eagles song the other night as I carried laundry up from the basement, but my daughter thought it sounded like a Chicago song. Really? I couldn’t imagine a Chicago song sounding like “Take It to … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Music, Popular culture | Tagged | 10 Comments

In honor of Thanksgiving . . .

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Katherine Wikoff

Here is a great article from Rolling Stone from five years ago (link HERE)  celebrating the 50th anniversary of Arlo Guthrie’s hilarious 18-minute musical saga recounting the consequences of taking out the garbage after Thanksgiving dinner. And here is the … Continue reading →

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Lex Allen’s “love letter” to Milwaukee

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Katherine Wikoff

If you live in Milwaukee, you’ve probably already seen this joyful music video. If you haven’t, you’ll fall in love with both Lex Allen and the city they showcase so beautifully. The song is “Let Go.” Enjoy! 🙂

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What You Can Learn About The Danger Of Assumption From The Original Woodstock Festival …

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Katherine Wikoff

Great post from Rob Campbell, a British advertising executive. I love his blog, which is wide ranging and both very funny and very insightful. Read on to learn at least one reason Tommy James & the Shondells didn’t endure as … Continue reading →

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The Story of “Smooth”

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Katherine Wikoff

Remember “Smooth,” the Santana–Rob Thomas megahit from twenty years ago? Rolling Stone has a fabulous article out today recounting how this unlikely collaboration between artists of such different musical genres and generations came about to result in the classic single … Continue reading →

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The Highwaymen: “Highwayman”

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Katherine Wikoff

I heard this song on the radio while driving home the other night. Here’s the Wikipedia article on The Highwaymen supergroup. Like some other songs I really like—for example, “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” and … Continue reading →

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Warped Time

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Katherine Wikoff

It’s fascinating to notice those weird moments when historical eras overlap. My husband, who is 10+ years older than I am, can remember seeing milk being delivered to homes in his neighborhood via horse-drawn wagons in the 1950s. Here is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Movies and film, Music, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments