What Did Dudley Do Right?

A few months ago, we received a donated item: a fairly large framed certificate from the American Federation of Musicians (formed in 1896) that was dated August 20, 1899, marking the affiliation of the Lockport Federation of Musicians, Local 92, with the national organization.

Being a musician, myself, we hung it on the wall next to my desk and the photocopy machine where it can easily be seen and ignored every day by anyone in the office...except until today when something unusual was noticed.

Reminiscing: Let the Music Do the Talking

At some point in every child’s life, they want to be like their parents. A boy will want to be just like his first hero -- his dad. Likewise for little girls. They want to be just like their mothers. Somewhere along the line, that idea slowly fades away and each child becomes their own person. Still, no matter how hard we try to not be like our mothers or our fathers, there’s always a little bit of that parent shining through. It’s only natural. Almost every moment of our formative years are spent with our parents. We try to emulate them, and they are our first guides to moving through life.

Literally the Best Reviews: Born to Run

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Simon & Schuster

528 Pages

I’ve said before that reviewing a nonfiction book is not one of my favorite things. That’s especially true when it comes to memoirs or autobiographies. I mean, who knows more about a person’s life than that person? It can sometimes be difficult to review those books. However, I thought I’d give it a try with this week’s review, Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen.

These Old Walkin' Shoes: Let the Music Do the Talking

A couple weeks ago, or maybe even longer ago than that (sometimes these things all seem to blur together) I wrote an article about the origami love notes that we used to send to each other in junior and high school. That got me thinking of another rite of passage that we used to engage in. Who remembers the mixtape?

Former Watercooler Contributor Releases Original Music With Band

Derick Sears, former contributor to Niagara’s Watercooler, has released a series of original music as a member of a college band, Steve Buscemi. The band released six songs on their Soundcloud page on Monday, January 9th.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: On the Way to Band Camp

Last week, three of my daughters were involved in the Summer Honors Band program at Starpoint. This week, IdaLena was asked to participate in the 7/8 Honors band. I guess they needed more trombone players. Her band teacher said she was capable of handling the more difficult music. She loves it. Today, I had to drop her off for the first lesson of the 7/8 Band. She was a little scared about being so young, but she worked through it. She can't wait to go back tomorrow.

REMINISCING: Garage Sales, Music to My Ears

We went to a garage sale earlier in the day (I’m writing this Friday night). We found a couple musical instruments at the sale which came home with us. We added a second trombone and a second trumpet to our collection. Meanwhile, we still rent a saxophone for Patience to play. Anyway, this week’s “Reminiscing” will be a two-fold column. I will talk about music and what I’ve learned about it. I will also talk about garage sales from the pre-eBay days.

When Music Mattered - Purple Rain (1984)

I figured I would get around to reviewing this album at some point, and today wound up being that day. On the heels of the announcement that Prince has passed away, I wanted to just take the time to honor the record that helped to make him into Prince the superstar. While 1999 was a great album, it was the Purple Rain movie and album that put the Paisley Wizard onto the map.

To those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, the track listing for Purple Rain is burned into our minds. Anyone from my generation will instantly recognize the whining keyboard sound from the opening of "Let's Go Crazy," and the mournful guitar that starts off the album's title track. Prince created a lot of great music during his life, but this was the record that reached out to the widest audience and, in my opinion, made the biggest impact.

I saw Prince at the old Memorial Auditorium on this tour, and the show was exactly like the movie. Prince had laryngitis that night, and he asked us all for our forgiveness for the sound of his voice. But he was still able to hit the notes, and his guitar was just as brilliant as it always was. The man was a virtuoso on a long list of instruments, and the only reason he needed a band was because he could only play one instrument at a time.

Purple Rain is a classic for the same reason Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon remains relevant to this day. Both of those classic records are oozing with emotion, and both records hit on common themes that are as timeless as they are personal. The biggest difference between Prince's display of emotion and Pink Floyd's is that Prince is not nearly as subtle as Floyd. When you listen to Purple Rain, you can tell when Prince is angry, happy, and heart-broken. It is all right there, and it is easy to absorb.

Despite the fact that Purple Rain is a movie soundtrack, it still stands up on its own. Many of the tracks on the album were actual live performances and done well before the movie was written. Prince was always the kind of person who preferred to show his emotions in his music, instead of in his actions.

As we mourn the loss of this iconic artist, we can at least comfort ourselves with his huge catalog of music. He leaves behind a legacy that includes some of the finest music ever recorded, and an image that has endured through years of fads and trends that have come and gone. Prince will be as relevant 100 years from now as he is on this day, and that is something that not many artists can say.

R.I.P. to a genius, and thank you for all of the music.

Rating: 5 out of 5

George N Root III is a classic rock fan and huge fan of Prince. We mourn Prince's death by enjoying his music. Follow George on Twitter @georgenroot3 or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.