Free Republic

Pop star Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to the New York City public school system. Swift, who was named the world's sixth most powerful celebrity by Forbes magazine, has commendably performed numerous acts of charity since moving into her $20 million Tribeca residence last year, including visits with sick children at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The age and cultural divide notwithstanding (she's 25, I'm not, and Elvis was my adolescent icon), I like Taylor Swift, but her money would have been better invested with much higher returns somewhere other than the dreadful New York City public schools, whose problems are...

 Why bother to listen to this music? How can we come to understand these people in war, if we don't listen to them in peace? They're on the other side of a divide from us—very high illiteracy rate, if a person who can't read sees a scrap of printed matter from a newpaper on the ground, they will pick it up in case it might be the Holy Quran. Music has the ability to transcend this divide.  It's great music, one of its influences is Roman culture—this instrument, the Qunan, the name comes from Greek, "Canon", a ruler or tuning measuring rod. They...

ROUND 6 OF THE '80S TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS COMMENCES! Votes due: Sunday, March 8 @ 6:00 pm Eastern. The Final 4 in just 2 pairs of songs! Vote for your favorite of each pair shown. No reply, no vote. (You may abstain from any pairs.) Any ties will be broken with a run-off which will end (hopefully) the following Monday.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. We serve coffee, tea,or maybe a tall brew? Topped off with great conversation and music. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a glass and start a conversation. You never know who you might meet in the Cafe. Glad you could join us. Enjoy your stay. Our...

ROUND 5 OF THE '80S TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS COMMENCES! Votes due: Sunday, March 1 @ 6:00 pm Eastern. The Great 8 in just 4 pairs of songs! Vote for your favorite of each pair shown. No reply, no vote. (You may abstain from any pairs.) Any ties will be broken with a run-off which will end (hopefully) the following Monday. Format: Yearly rank/seed - year - song title - act

An Easter song set to Greensleeves

Al Bowlly's last recording, from 1941.

Jack Hylton & His Orchestra plays "Plenty of Sunshine" on HMV B-5451. The song is by De Sylva, Brown, & Henderson.

ISIS in Libya have released pictures of armed fighters burning musical instruments as the extremist group continues its propaganda assault in the north African country. Pictures of the heavily armed masked militants watching while a pile of drums burnt in the Libyan desert were released earlier today - purportedly by the 'media wing' of the local group. It is understood the brightly coloured instruments had been confiscated by the religious police, and were destroyed near the port city of Derna, in eastern Libya. A message released with the pictures explains: 'Hesbah seized these un-Islamic musical instruments in the state of...

Sam Andrew, a founding member and guitarist of the San Francisco psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, died Thursday in San Rafael. He was 73. His death, of complications from open-heart surgery after a heart attack, was confirmed by John Byrne Cooke, a friend and former manager... Big Brother served as the house band at the Avalon Ballroom, which was run by band manager Chet Helms before recruiting Joplin and gaining international attention with their explosive performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. “She walked in one day and started singing some songs,” Mr. Andrew said...

This'll mean nothing to anyone except those familiar with the drum corps' of days pastPart of my '62 - '65 heritage

ROUND 4 OF THE '80S TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS COMMENCES! Votes due: Sunday, Feb 22 @ 6:00 pm Eastern. Sweet 16 in 8 pairs of songs! Vote for your favorite of each pair shown. No reply, no vote. (You may abstain from any pairs.) Any ties will be broken with a run-off which will end the following Monday. Format: Yearly rank/seed - year - song title - act

From the implosion of MSNBC and CNN to the recent suspension of NBC's Brian Williams, the Mainstream Media is getting marginalized every day. The New Media, democratized by conservative bloggers and alternative-made-dominant counter-media like Truth Revolt and Breitbart are not only knocking the hell out of the lie, but telling more of the story, holding the Establishment of both parties accountable, and freeing the average reader from the hostage propaganda of left-wing editorializing and willful neglect. For the past week, in the wake of Brian Williams' recent admission that he lied about encountering enemy fire during the War and Iraq,...

The name Ennio Morricone has become synonymous with film, having provided the backdrop to countless classic movies. The Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor and former trumpet player is credited with writing the music for over 500 film and TV series and at 86 years old he still towers like a monolith above all others. It was for these reasons that I made my way to the O2 Arena for what must be one of his last UK performances.

We have a TIE from Round 3 to BREAK! (What is it with 1983? No one seems to be able to separate the songs!) #4 1983 "Down Under” Men at Work versus #1 1983 "Every Breath You Take" Police

What are songs/music you loved as a child and still love to this day?

She has dominated the airwaves during 30 years as a chart-topper, but now Radio 1 has decided that Madonna is an immaterial girl and just too old for its teenage listeners. Despite her determined efforts to look – and sound – youthful, the 56-year-old has been dropped from the station’s playlist that determines which songs are played by DJs during the day. Madonna’s latest song is Living For Love and has been available for airplay since December 20 last year.

I recently saw the end of some TV show where a band called Madison Rising did a great new rendition to the Star Spangled Banner. As a muscian and a rocker it touch me and I just want to share it with all Patriots.

ROUND 3 OF THE '80S TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS COMMENCES! Votes due: Sunday, Feb 15 @ 6:00 pm Eastern. Sweet 16 pairs of songs! Vote for your favorite in each pair shown. No reply, no vote. (You may abstain from any pairs.) Any ties will be broken with a run-off which will end the following Monday. Format: Yearly rank/seed - year - song title - act

I Hear Music in the Air! – A Homily for Christmas By: Msgr. Charles PopeThe mysteries of Christmas are many. Among them is the mystery of the music heard that night. The angels shouted the great declaration, “Glory to God in the Highest,” and creation takes it up as a song. But why this music? Is it merely window dressing, or does it disclose a mystery to us? Is it merely for us, or do the angels also have need of the declaration?As always with the things of God, there are realities far deeper than most of us imagine. But tonight’s...