music

He Has Alzheimer’s, Now What? Pt. 1

Posted on 11/12/2012 by | Aging, Home & Family Expert | Comments

Caregiving | Home & Family | RelationshipsA Twitter follower of mine, @Jason_Bournesm, tweeted me a question the other day about his grandfather who has Alzheimer’s disease: “@AmyGoyer my grandfather has #Alzheimers. how can I help him? I’m not able to do much physically. He doesn’t remember much at all #sad” Jason was born with spina bifida. While his physical challenges may limit some activities, I told him he has a lot to offer his grandfather! Grandchildren of all ages have a special love and energy to …

Prince Versus Plasma: My Cassette Tape Conundrum

Posted on 08/29/2012 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

TechnologyAmong Best Buy’s TVs, some stretching nearly three yards across, the 46-inch plasma model suddenly looked small. And the fifty was on sale “with, like, a free Blu-Ray player,” noted Trevor, my Product Consultant, braces glittering on the smile beneath his peach-fuzz mustache. My bleeding heart already doubted a new TV. Where did all the old ones go? Shouldn’t I be reading more? I drop cell phones into toilets. I melted my last laptop setting it on the stove to …

Can’t Help Falling in Love with Elvis, 35 Years Later

Posted on 08/15/2012 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

EntertainmentAs usual, my sister Lynda had to go and ruin everything. August 16, 1977, had started off just fine. Kindergarten was still a week away. My father had a rare day off from the Memphis Police homicide unit. And we were moving into our new home, the suburban “upstairs-downstairs” house I had always wanted. I was bumping on my butt down those newly-carpeted dream stairs when Lynda came galloping over me with the news she’d just heard on the radio: …

Marvin Hamlisch: Music for the Generations

Posted on 08/7/2012 by | News, Culture, Sights and Sounds | Comments

LegacyComposer, conductor, pianist – Marvin Hamlisch was all those things. But he was, above all, a consummate showman.  His death at age 68 leaves a gap because he was one of the few musicians — folks like Wynton Marsalis and John Williams come to mind as his peers — whose musical vocabulary and knowledge were so broad and deep as to welcome new audiences into music in a way that underlined the universality of that unique art. As a pops …

The Takeaway: 53rd Newport Folk Festival More Popular Than Ever

Posted on 07/23/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsFifty-three years after the inaugural Newport Folk Festival, the Rhode Island event is more popular than ever before, with tickets selling out a full three months in advance of next weekend’s festival. Attendees this year will be treated to Newport veterans like Arlo Guthrie as well as more contemporary fare like Alabama Shakes, Deer Tick and Wilco.

The Takeaway: Public Radio Stations Worry Shows (and Audiences) Getting Too Old

Posted on 06/25/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsAt public radio stations across the country, the biggest draws are decades-old shows like “A Prairie Home Companion” (started in 1974), “Fresh Air” (1987) and “This American Life” (1995). This has some producers trying to ‘youthanize’ NPR, if you will, with new programs designed to attract younger listeners. But could these appeals seriously change the tone of U.S. public radio?

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