Composers Mark Leggett (left) and Velton Ray Bunch (right) with Dolly Parton. Photo by Crystal Mangano
Dolly Parton’s childhood came to life on NBC this past December, drawing the biggest viewing audience for an original television movie since 2011. “Coat of Many Colors,” watched by 15.5 million viewers, is based on Parton’s early years growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Continue reading
Composers Mark Leggett (left) and Velton Ray Bunch (right) with Dolly Parton. Photo by Crystal Mangano
Dolly Parton’s childhood came to life on NBC this past December, drawing the biggest viewing audience for an original television movie since 2011. “Coat of Many Colors,” watched by 15.5 million viewers, is based on Parton’s early years growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Continue reading
After more than 50 years in Los Angeles, big band musician Pat Longo has returned to his roots and moved back to his hometown of Lodi, New Jersey.
As Pat likes to say, “the Longo Train has made many stops.” He has performed at The Vintage Club, The Academy Awards Governors Ball, New Years Eve Gala at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion… along with famed conductor Zubin Mehta and the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra, Caesar’s Palace and The Golden Nugget. He has entertained and worked side by side with such stars as Seth MacFarlane, Adam Levine and Jimmy Kimmel. Continue reading
Production still courtesy Pixar / Walt Disney Pictures
What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct?
So posits Pixar in the enchanting computer-animated fantasy “The Good Dinosaur.” Luckily for young dinosaur Arlo, his parents and his two siblings, the mighty reptiles were not wiped out 65 million years ago. Continue reading
Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar
Summer’s hottest composer shares his love of Los Angeles musicians, balancing work and family, and how he maintained his sanity scoring three summer blockbusters back to back (to back)
From film and TV to video games, composer Michael Giacchino’s colorful and energetic music can be heard nearly everywhere. This is especially true this summer; in just a few short weeks, he scored three of the summer’s widest box-office releases — “Jurassic World,” “Inside Out” and “Tomorrowland” — without so much as a break. But hard work doesn’t seem to faze the prolific composer, whose obsession with music and movies began early. At 10, Giacchino would sneak tape recorders into movie theaters so he could listen to them each night as he fell asleep, and it wasn’t long before he started making stop-motion animation with homemade soundtracks in his parents’ basement. Continue reading
Photos by Linda A. Rapka
Dodger organist Nancy Bea Hefley talks about her three decades with LA’s Boys in Blue
Named by some fans as their “favorite Dodger” of all time, stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley has livened up the ballpark with her signature playing since 1988.
Though the last few years have seen her playtime steadily dwindle, public outcry has been strong enough to see her contract renew for the next baseball season.
And she couldn’t be happier. Continue reading
Photo: marniejoyce / Foter / CC BY
by Stephanie Hayman
In the music world, injuries may occur frequently as musicians often push beyond their limits. Inadequate rest, unhealthy eating habits, improper posture and mental and emotional strain compound this problem. With a musician’s hectic lifestyle, sufficient time is often not allowed for the body to heal. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory (especially steroids) medications are often used to dull the aches and pains. It’s a quick and easy approach, but only a temporary fix.
By medicinally covering up pain, stiffness, swelling, or aches, you may be masking a deeper problem. These symptoms are signals from your body telling you that something is weakened and out of balance. These warning signals are telling you to stop, rest, and heal. Continue reading