Troy’s School of Music took the stage at the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) last Thursday to last Saturday. The goal was to educate music directors and students through a series of different performances, seminars and workshops.   On Thursday, the experiences included Solfege and Play, Planning with Purpose, Enterprise High School Wind Ensemble, Passages Through History, Troy Trombone Octet, Troy Alumni Reception and Future Alabama Music Educators. The events cont

To fully understand the intricate beauty of Chinese shoegaze band Default’s album titled “California Nebula,” you simply need to understand the history of the shoegaze genre. One does not need to understand Mandarin in order to understand the scope and message of the album.     Believed to have emerged from the United Kingdom’s underground psychedelic rock sound, shoegaze has become a defining genre in mainstream music. The term “shoegaze” refers to band members gazing at the

One of the Troy’s Greek organizations dedicated to supporting women in music held a hot chocolate and movie night to kick off its recruitment week last Wednesday.  Sigma Alpha Iota is a music fraternity that aims to provide community for women pursuing music whether as a means of career or hobby. The members act as ushers for choir, concert band and symphonic band concerts, and do community service across the John M. Long School of Music and the entire Troy community.  “Suppo

I believe one of the most rewarding parts of music exploration is when one finds an album that clicks instantly. Whether by chance, or by trying your hardest to find that feeling, the feeling is always rewarding.  One time, the feeling came over me was when I was listening to the album “Dolby’s ON!” by Montreal-based Bataille Solaire. The album has a very wintery vibe to me, as if there’s a crisp wind on a January day.   Opening track “Boul” both starts and ends with a glitch

With 2026 in full swing, I wanted to highlight some of the releases from last year that I personally enjoyed. The albums and songs I have mentioned are not in any specific order, but all of them are recommended by me.  Jane Remover’s album “Revengeseekerz” dropped last year and it was definitely my most anticipated album coming into 2025. It excelled my expectations dramatically, to the point where I thought every song was a hit. I like to describe “Revengeseekerz” as being j

What if you combined sweeping ambient soundscapes with the denseness and fuzziness of shoegaze? The answer lies in Lovesliescrushing, who has managed to create the perfect marriage between the two over their entire career. One of their best albums, “Xuvetyn,” turns 30 years old in 2026, and I am here to say that it is every bit as forward thinking as it was upon first release.  “Valerian (Her Voice Honeyed)” fades into a song that slides from airiness to deepness like being u

Troy University is set to hold its 53rd annual High School Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic and Honor Bands (SEUS) on Feb. 5-7. The event is focused  on individual performers who apply and audition to participate in the event.  In previous years, anywhere from 60-90 schools were represented from Alabama and neighboring states. Occasionally, these students even come from other parts of the country.   “This event, like many other events across the country, is desi

Every single semester, whether it seems like it or not, stands as the end of some seniors’ experience as bachelor’s students. Reagen Simmons, a senior music industry major from Jacksonville, Alabama, is one of those students this semester.   Simmons, a saxophonist, said when she first started as a Troy student, she never expected herself to be where she is today as a musician.  “Troy has helped me grow immensely in my knowledge of many different styles of music, as well as my

Since Oneohtrix Point Never’s (OPN) new album “Tranquilizer” is releasing tomorrow, I thought it would be a good idea to write about another album of his in anticipation. When finding an album  I knew would be a good introduction to him as well as be a great listening experience in general, I looked no further than “Replica.”  When I first heard “Replica” and OPN in general, it was from listening to a different album from one of his aliases. Chuck Person’s “Chuck Person’s Ecc

Psychedelic Pop as a Throughline  When I was in middle school, I listened to a band called Neutral Milk Hotel by chance. When I first listened to them, I was kind of entranced by the music. At first, I had no idea what was going on, but eventually I loved their music so much I wanted to find as many acts as possible that were similar.  Pretty quickly, I came across a band named “of Montreal.” Their song “Gronlandic Edit” was the first I had listened to, and I was oddly intere

The Troy University Percussion Ensemble drummed its way into the evening last Sunday in a concert that drew a crowd.  The concert, prepared by professor of music Dr. Timothy Blackstock, featured five pieces, some with multiple movements:  Telisi Odyssey – Russell Hartenberger  Kumansi  Kerala  Toccata – Carlos Chavez  Not Far From Here – Blake Tyson  Willow* – Michael Burritt  *Zytori Conner, marimba  G-Spot Tornado* – Frank Zappa, arr. Doug Wallace  *Special Guests: Dominiqu

Troy University Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies Dr. Dave Camwell has earned two national accolades for his musical achievements.   Camwell is involved in Covert Ensemble, a musical duo group between Camwell and Kateřina Pavlíková, who is from the Czech Republic.   Camwell first met Pavlíková online during the COVID-19 pandemic. After stumbling upon her social media, seeing her musical abilities and becoming Facebook friends, he reached out in hopes to start th

In 1992, Warp Records released the first in their “Artificial Intelligence” series, which is a compilation album of the same name. Within the compilation, there were several examples of laid back, ambient techno tracks that were not meant for dancing to, but for listening to. The compilation had some other iconic electronic music artists, such as Aphex Twin under a different pseudonym, but few are as iconic as Autechre.  What makes Autechre so special, even in their early day

Two John M. Long School of Music faculty members held a recital composed of flute and piano music Sunday. Dr. Heather Small, associate...

From the moment Sabrina Carpenter emerged through an actual manhole on stage, you knew you were witnessing something unforgettable. It...

While I love all types of music, I generally gravitate towards the pop music genre more than others. When Sabrina Carpenter announced she...

When it comes to music taste, I really do not have a preferred genre. I listen to pop, country, hip hop, R&B and jazz, which is a lot of...

The 2025 single, “my mind is a mountain,” released by Deftones on July 10, was overall underwhelming. The single is a predecessor of...

This fall, Troy University welcomes a new face to the College of Arts and Humanities.  Dr. Kelly Langenberg brings years of teaching...

A new student band kickstarted in Troy over the summer, following the departure of Speak Easy. The Avenues is an alternative rock band...

One faculty member with the John M Long School of music talks about his latest album, transposing orchestral pieces for a group of three....