You’d have to be living in an alternate universe or under a rock somewhere not to know that we are in the midst of a pre-election campaign season, and a contentious one at that. One thing that unites the candidates on both sides of the political spectrum – those who are still in the running at the time of this writing – is music.

All three candidates have their own favorite songs that convey their political messages and inspire their supporters. Let’s have a look at what they like.

Hillary Clinton

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Secretary Clinton, who grew up with classic rock, has particular affinity for female performers because they are “the best at what they do, whether that’s fronting a raucous soul band, writing hypnotic dance anthems, unspooling intricate rap lyrics about female empowerment or crooning ballads about heartbreak and young love.” At her campaign stops the same lineup of 13 songs is played: Latin pop (Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud,” Marc Anthony’s “Vivir Mi Vida”), pop (Katy Perry’s “Roar,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” Sara Bareilles’ “Brave”), modern rock (American Authors’ “Best Day of My Life” and “Believer,” Gym Class Heroes’ “The Fighter”).

Bernie Sanders

Did you know that in 1987, when Sanders was mayor of Burlington, VT, he recorded an album called “We Shall Overcome.” It featured folk songs like “This Land Is Your Land” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” These days, as a presidential candidate, Sanders has eclectic musical tastes, ranging from Beethoven’s symphonies to Motown sounds, pop and disco music. And one of his campaign ads features a short excerpt from Simon and Garfunkel’s “America.”

Donald Trump

“The Donald” courts controversy wherever he goes – in politics AND music! Various artists, including Aerosmith, Adele, Elton John, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen, among others, demanded that Trump stop playing their songs at campaign rallies. But even though Young snubbed him (objecting after his “Rockin’ in the Free World ” was played when Trump announced his candidacy), “the Donald” said he admires his music: “He’s got something very special. I’ve listened to his music for years …when I went to the concert at Madison Square Garden, Neil got up and totally brought the house down.”

Leaving politics aside

At Hey Joe Guitar, we stay out of all controversies – political and other. Our main goal (the only goal, really) is to bring music, in form of private lessons, into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Our teachers are not going to discuss political candidates or their campaigns. Instead, they will focus their efforts on teaching you how to make beautiful music with an instrument of your choice!

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Here’s a head scratcher for this week: do you know what Vincent Damon Furnier, Robert Zimmerman, and Peter Gene Hernandez have in common? The answer: they are the real names of musicians we know as Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, and Bruno Mars, respectively.

In fact, many musicians – and famous people in general – take on stage names, which sound nothing like the original monikers they got at birth. We will give you more examples in a minute, but first let’s have a look at why so many famous people go that route.

What’s in a name? You’ll be surprised…

The reasons are many. For instance, the real name may be difficult to pronounce or remember. One such case is Cat Stevens, whose parents named him Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Or, the birth name might be quite a mouthful. That is probably why Declan Patrick Aloysius Macmanus thought it would be easier for everyone if he re-named himself Elvis Costello; ditto for Lady Gaga, whose given name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Sometimes, artists with ethnic sounding names prefer to be known by a more Anglicized aliases, which would help them blend better into the English language-dominated music industry. For example, would you ever guess that Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. morphed into John Denver, and Pitbull was once known as Armando Christian Perez? And occasionally, artsy and creative people want names that are hip rather than ordinary. A long time ago, one British chap named Reginald Kenneth Dwight decided it would behoove his career to become Elton John, and Calvin Broadus morphed into Snoop Dogg. And by the way, Mozart was baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus, so it’s no wonder he eventually shortened it to Wolfgang Amadeus! Here are some more examples:

• Anthony Dominick Benedetto was the birth name of Tony Bennett.
• Billy Idol was named William Michael Albert Broad at birth.
• Gaynor Hopkins became Bonnie Tyler.
• Faroukh Bulsara was no other than Freddy Mercury.

And here are some other examples of the “before and after” names.

We call it like it is!

What about musical instruments? Do they have aliases or are they still called by their real names? Aside from some abbreviations – such as “uke” for ukulele or the piano for the pianoforte, instruments pretty much still go by their given names. That makes it so much easier to call us and say: “I’d like to learn to play the cello, the guitar, or any other instrument – just name it. We’ll send one of our excellent teachers straight to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. They’ll introduce themselves to you by their real names!

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Bach’s daughter Catharina was also musically gifted but, as a female, could not compose professionally. She did, however, excel as a singer. Then there was the duo of Leopold Mozart and his prodigious son and pupil, Wolfgang Amadeus. Theirs was the case of the student outgrowing the master, though Leopold was a gifted violinist and composer in his own right and there is no doubt he passed on his talent to his son. And Leopold’s other surviving child, daughter Maria Anna (Nannerl) became a talented clavierist. Moving on to the 19th century, two musical families stand out. First, there was the composer Felix Mendelsohn and his sister Fanny. But while Felix gained fame and recognition, Fanny did not get the encouragement or support to improve her craft, even though she was very talented . And of course we should not forget “The Father of the Waltz” Johann Strauss Sr. , and his son, Johann Strauss Jr. (aka “The King of the Waltz”). Johann Sr. had two other talented sons as well: Josef Strauss , who wrote over 300 dances and marches, as well as Eduard Strauss I, who joined the family’s orchestra as a harpist and eventually as a conductor. And then there was Eduard’s son (and Johann Sr.’s grandson), Johann Strauss III, who conducted the Strauss Orchestra and the first recordings of his family’s works.

Is it in the genes or in the water?

In more recent times, there had been other examples of famous musical families – Judy Garland and Liza Minelli, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Nat King and Natalie Cole, John and Julian Lennon, and others. By now you may be wondering whether musical talent is inherited. There is some evidence to suggest that creativity could, indeed, be passed on from one family member to another. But there is also something else: people who love and play music (or sing), instill and nurture the same passion in their children. In other words, they create and foster a music-friendly environment. But it doesn’t really matter if affinity for music is inherited or learned. Either way, lessons will help you (or your child) discover and explore all the wonderful musical mysteries. So invite a teacher of ours into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and start spreading the love of music all around you!

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The song that probably best represents the month of April is the “oldie” titled “April Showers.” It was composed in 1921 by American composer Louis Silvers and performed over the years by the likes of Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra , and others.

One of the reasons we like this song is because we appreciate the beauty of rain. You are probably thinking, “what’s so beautiful about the rain? It is wet, it makes puddles, and is not very pleasant.” Fact is that it not only nourishes the nature (as this particular song says, it makes “way for sweet May flowers”), and keeps vegetation fresh and green, but we also like the relaxing sounds it emits as it falls down. (Okay, we concede that listening to rain is much more enjoyable than walking in it!)

Cacophony of sound

We have written about the rain before, but this time we would like to explore the more creative side of this natural phenomenon. A case in point is a building in Dresden, Germany that, literally, is singling in the rain. The house in question is a brightly-colored building that, appropriately enough, is part of an arts project in that city. Here’s how it works: An intricate system of drains and funnels is attached on the outside of the building, and when it rains the entire house becomes an instrument. What kind of “rain music” does it make? Listen to this . Now, if you think all rain is the same, well, it isn’t. It makes different sounds depending on what it hits. This video , (which, by the way, consists of over 1 million drops), proves that. And if you are wondering whether humans can imitate the sound of rain, it turns out they can !

Our lessons will never be rained out!

If you are a rain aficionado (provided such people actually exist) you may like to know that there is actually an ancient Mexican musical instrument called, appropriately, the rain stick. It makes a sound that is reminiscent of they falling rain . Can you “play rain” on more conventional instruments like the guitar or piano? You can certainly try and a teacher of ours will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons – even in the rain!

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What kind of fool are you? This question is intended with all due respect, but we can’t help asking it because tomorrow is the internationally celebrated annual holiday, April’s Fool Day. Even if you are not a buffoon the other 364 days of the year, tomorrow is a good opportunity to act a bit “foolish,” just for the fun of it.

You wouldn’t be the first person on earth to pull a prank or, for that matter, fall victim to one. Even famous people do, so we thought it would be fun to look at some of the music world’s most clever jokers, pranksters, and hoaxers.

Bring in the clowns

Now, you know that humor is a subjective concept, meaning that what some folks think is hilariously funny, others may find in bad taste. We are not endorsing any of these pranks; we are merely letting you know what some musicians had been up to on April Fool’s (and other days) in years past. Are they funny? You be the judge:

• The Beatles: We know that Paul McCartney is alive and well, and living right here in New York. But back in the 1960s, a rumor surfaced that Paul died in a car accident and was replaced by a double who looked and sounded just like the original (what are the chances of that?). This hoax was hatched by the student newspaper at Drake University. The Beatles themselves had a hand in propagating the rumor; “Paul is dead man/Miss him, miss him, miss him” can be heard when playing “I’m So Tired” backwards, among other mumblings and backwards clues.
• In 1969, reports emerged about the imminent release of a new album compiling a “super-session” with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. Entitled The Masked Marauders, the album supposedly couldn’t feature the names of the performers because of contractual clauses, but the star-studded lineup was revealed in the October 18, 1969 issue of Rolling Stone. The album turned out to be a prank dreamed up by the then- Rolling Stone editor Greil Marcus.
• Like him or not, but Howard Stern can pull a mean prank. On his radio show, he aired an “unedited version” of Beyoncé “If I Were a Boy,” which he claimed was leaked from her performance on The Today Show in November 2008. He said this was what Beyoncé sounded like “in the raw.” Luckily, the doctored tape was quickly discredited and did not have any negative impact on Beyoncé’s career.

These are just three examples, but there are, of course, many more!

It’s no joke

At Hey Joe Guitar, we enjoy occasional silliness but when it comes to music education, we are very serious. We know that giving music lessons to people of all ages and levels of proficiency is no laughing matter. That’s why we make sure that a teacher who comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, is a master at his or her art – whether it’s the guitar, violin, or any other instrument.

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When you listen to your favorite songs, do you ever wonder how they came to life? In other words, what person or event had inspired this particular piece of music? That’s a very pertinent question, because nothing in music (or art in general) happens haphazardly. Whether you call it a “muse,” a “spark,” or anything else, there is always that special moment or person who gives the artist the idea, force, and energy to create something new.

Just as an example, one of Ludwig von Beethoven’s best-known compositions, “Für Elise ,” was inspired by a woman believed to be Austrian singer and performer Therese Malfatti. (Music historians believe that the piece was originally called “Für Therese,” but the name was, over the years, mistranslated to “Elise.”) What about modern-day music? Let’s have a look at who was behind some of the most popular songs of our time.

“You are my inspiration…”

Obviously, we can’t cover ALL the songs here, but here is the “beef” on some of them: It has been long believed that the inspiration for Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit single “Sweet Caroline ” was the daughter of US president John F Kennedy. However, in 2014 Diamond revealed that his real muse was his then-wife Marcia Murphey, but he needed a three-syllable name for the chorus and Marcia didn’t fit the bill. That’s how “Sweet Caroline” came to be! Billy Joel’s romance with the supermodel Christie Brinkley inspired him to write “Uptown Girl ” in 1983. In real life, they were married for nine years until 1994 and had a daughter, Alexa Ray. What about Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind?” He wrote the original version in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. Fourteen years later he asked his writing partner, Bernie Taupin, to rework the lyrics to pay tribute to Princess Diana; he performed the new version at her funeral on September 6, 1997. And we can’t omit to mention one of the most curious “musical mysteries” of the past 40 years: who inspired Carly Simon’s 1972 hit, “You’re So Vain ?” Actor Warren Beatty had long been rumored the subject of this song. Last year, Simon admitted that the song’s second verse is about Beatty, but hasn’t revealed who the “muses” were for the other parts of the song. So at least some of the mystery still lives on!

Let us inspire you!

One thing that is certainly NOT shrouded in mystery is this: whoever (or whatever) inspires you, your child, or another member of your family to start music lessons, we are happy to help. Whatever instrument you choose to play, we will dispatch a well-trained and experienced teacher to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. This we can promise: we will always try to inspire you to move forward on your musical journey!

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We recently came across some very interesting footage (which we are sharing below) that shows how various animals react to music. We found it heartwarming to see that the capacity to respond to music is not a uniquely human phenomenon, but that animals have it too. In fact, there is a whole field of study called “zoomusicology,” which, as its name suggests, focuses on the so-called “animal music” – a fascinating subject in and of itself.

Scientists tell us that even though animals like different sounds than humans, their auditory range and ability to understand and pick up on human emotion is similar. The main difference lies in how animals interpret these sounds. We do know, for instance, that our four-legged friends appear to be more relaxed when listening to classical music and more agitated when heavy metal is playing. (However, this finding doesn’t exclude that at least some animals may be more partial to Metallica than to Mozart!)

All eyes and ears

Let’s go back to the above-mentioned footage of animals listening to live music. Cows, it seems, like jazz , as well as classical music . Elephants appreciate Beethoven , blues , and sounds of the violin , as do these horses . And it’s not just large animals that are sensitive to music – just look at these otters reacting to the guitar. But our favorite is this golden retriever who clearly appreciates his master’s strumming and is unhappy when the music stops . He clearly has the sense of rhythm! Now, this particular footage is obviously an ad and not natural or spontaneous like the other examples. However, it is nevertheless beautiful, especially since sea creatures are known to like music and emit tunes of their own.

Don’t play like an animal!

Some time ago, we wrote about a project at the Smithsonian’s National ZOO in Washington D.C, which had its animals playing various musical instruments. Whether it was an orangutan playing a xylophone or a bear blowing into a harmonica, these were “unschooled” and spontaneous forays into music. But that’s not how we work. Our teachers come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons, so that you can learn to play your instrument the human way. Together, we’ll have a whale of a time!

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Asked what special skills were needed to compose music, Johann Sebastian Bach replied: “There’s nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” Of course, Bach knew a thing or two about music writing, having composed well over 1,000 pieces. However, he may have underestimated the effort involved in creating music – it takes MUCH more than just hitting the right keys!

Still, quite a few people – distinguished in their own right – believed that composing is as easy as do-re-mi, and tried their hand at it. Not surprisingly, they didn’t go down in history as brilliant musicians, but they certainly deserve a round of applause for their effort. Who where they and what musical wonders did they create? Let’s have a look.

Jacks of all trades

We know King Henry the VIII as a brutal wife killer, so it is difficult to imagine him as being sensitive enough to write music. But he did compose some songs and instrumental works, including a merry-tuned one he named Pastyme with good companye and Tandernaken . Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is best known for his literary masterpieces like War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Not many people know, however, that in his youth he composed a short (lasting about a minute) waltz . Also in the 19th century, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, took a quill pen to a lined paper and created a composition called Manfred Meditation . Upon receiving the score, the famous conductor Hans von Bülow wrote to Nietzsche: “Have you no better way to kill time?” And how about this: we don’t usually think of scientists as musically-minded, so it may come as a surprise that the 18th century astronomer William Herschel, who discovered Uranus in 1781, took enough time away from his telescope to compose a total of 24 symphonies ! Poet Ezra Pound is perhaps less of a surprise as a composer, because there is more congruence between poetry and music than astronomy and music. Be it as it may, Pound wrote two operas, The Testament of François Villon and Cavalcanti. There have been more famous people from various walks of life who composed as a hobby. It only goes to prove that creativity has no limits!

Musical talent

At Hey Joe Guitar, we like people who open their minds to all kinds of interests and activities– especially the musical ones. We are proud that our teachers are not only gifted musicians in their own right, but also pursue many other interests. Would you like one of out multi-talented teachers to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you or a family member a lesson? Contact us and we’ll send over a teacher who will compose a personalized lesson plan just for you!

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When we think of the lives of famous composers we imagine them spending entire days and possibly even nights writing music. After all, they wouldn’t have been as prolific if their minds were distracted by non-musical activities. For instance, we know from his letters that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent most of his days either composing or giving concerts. Ditto for Ludwig van Beethoven, who spent hours each day fine-tuning (no pun intended) his work.

And yet, despite their busy schedules many composers found time to pursue hobbies and interests that were not related to music. This proves that even geniuses need to take time off from work and just chill.

Diverse interests

Admittedly, it is difficult to imagine Mozart, dressed in a powdered wig, a brocade waistcoat, and breeches, doing anything other than sitting at his harpsichord. If that is your image of the great composer, prepare to be surprised! Historical records indicate that Mozart loved to play game of all sorts; he was quite handy at card tricks, billiards, charades, and fencing. He even rode horses. Mozart was also an animal lover who kept dogs, cats, and birds. Reportedly, he even owned a starling that could “sing” the main tune from the last movement of his Piano Concerto No. 17 . Another distinguished composer who found time for non-musical pursuits was Johann Sebastian Bach. He loved walking so much that he reportedly covered of tens of miles on foot just to hear a concert. Here’s a quick look at how other famous composers spent their free time:

• Giuseppe Verdi was active in local politics: he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies and as a Senator in the Italian Congress.
• Richard Strauss loved playing skat, a card game that was all the rage in the 19th century Europe.
• Antonin Dvorak raised pigeons.
• Sergei Prokofiev enjoyed playing chess; he also wrote short stories.
• Dimitri Shostakovich liked playing cards and watching soccer games.
• Gustav Mahler was a sports enthusiast: he loved athletics, particularly hiking and swimming.

On their own time

At Hey Joe Guitar, music education is our number one priority. But that doesn’t mean we believe in it to the exclusion of everything else. Our teachers are busy giving lessons or performing, but they still have time to enjoy their hobbies. These are just some of the leisure activities they are involved in: travel, badminton, dressage, card games, fencing, chess, rowing, ski jumping, lacrosse, organic farming, and even wreck driving and bushwhacking. But be assured that no hobby will ever keep a teacher of ours from coming to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office on time for a lesson. After all, even someone who is into bushwhacking owns a watch!

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Last month, we wrote about feuds between famous musicians. Now, we would like to share with you a somewhat similar story, just because we think it is both interesting and funky At he heart of the tale is a musical “duel” that took place in Vienna between two distinguished 19th century composers: Daniel Steibelt, one of Europe’s most renowned piano virtuosos of that era, and Ludwig van Beethoven, who, of course, needs no introduction. It was Steilbelt who challenged Beethoven to the play-off.

The background for this anecdote is this: one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment among Vienna’s aristocracy in the beginning of the 19th century was an improvisation contest. One nobleman would offer support to one pianist, while another would back the opponent. The two pianists would compete with each other, each setting the other a tune to improvise on. The musicians would go back and forth, until a winner was declared. The contest between Steibelt and Beethoven occurred in the summer of 1800 in the opulent palace of Prince Lobkowitz, who was backing Beethoven. Another aristocrat, Prince Lichnowsky, was rooting for Steilbelt. And, by the way, don’t think these were just childish pranks. At the time, Steibelt was 35 years old, and Beethoven 30.

The triumph and agony

This is how one article described the stand-off between the two composers: “As the challenger, Steibelt was to play first. He walked to the piano, tossing a piece of his own music on the side, and played. Steibelt was renowned for conjuring up a ‘storm’ on the piano, and this he did to great effect, the ‘thunder’ growling in the bass.” It was then Beethoven’s turn to perform. In a display of true showmanship, “he picked up the piece of music Steibelt had tossed on the side, looked at it, showed it the audience ….. and turned it upside down!” He then sat at the piano and played the four notes in the opening bar of Steibelt’s music. “He began to vary them, embellish them ….. improvise on them. He played on, imitated a Steibelt ‘storm,’ unpicked Steibelt’s playing and put it together again, parodied it and mocked it.” Humiliated, Steibelt quickly realized that Beethoven would be declared the winner, and he walked out of the room in a huff. He had said he would never again set foot in Vienna as long as Beethoven was there. Beethoven continued to live in Vienna for the rest of his life, and Steibelt never returned. There is an interesting postscript to this tale: the four notes of Steibelt’s music that Beethoven had played during the contest, later incited him to compose the “Eroica Symphony .”

Play nice!

Now, just because we find this historical tidbit interesting (and hope you do too), doesn’t mean we approve of or encourage unfair competition. After all, music is all about spreading joy, not showing off to the detriment of another player. That’s why when a teacher of ours comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn of Riverdale home or office to give you a music lesson, he or she will make sure harmony prevails – literally and figuratively!

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Have you ever listened to Felix Mendelssohn’s Cello Concerto? Don’t rack your brain trying to remember – we can tell you right now, with no degree of uncertainty, that you have NOT heard this piece. How can we be so sure? Because, in a truly bizarre twist of fate, the only existing copy of the composer’s cello concerto suffered a freaky accident: it fell off the side of a horse-drawn coach as it was being delivered to Alfredo Piatti, the cellist for whom the concerto was written. The notes have never been found.

This unfortunate incident made us think of other works by famous composers that had been lost but, in contrast to Mendelssohn’s concerto, had been found again – or discovered for the first time – centuries later.

Surprising finds

Let’s start with Johann Sebastian Bach. The Baroque composer was certainly prolific, having written well over 1000 pieces of music. But in 2005, a music scholar found a previously unknown score at a German library, which houses a major collection of literature and historical documents. There, stashed in a box of birthday cards, was a two-page handwritten aria dated October 1713, when Bach was 28 years old. There had been no previous records of this piece, which the Bach Archive in Leipzig has since verified as authentic. Bach’s score is not the only piece of music that was unearthed in Germany. In the 1970s, a German music scholar found detailed sketches of Beethoven’s String Quartet in G, Opus 18 Number 2, made by the composer himself. It was composed in 1799 but discarded shortly afterwards and thought to be lost. In 2007, a music professor at the University of Manchester put the original sketches together and the piece was heard for the first time since Beethoven’s day. Another amazing discovery, in 2014, was Mozart’s Piano Sonata no. 11 in A Major , the long-lost original score scribbled by the composer himself around 1783. While copies of this piece exist, most of the original manuscript was believed to be lost, with only one surviving page preserved in Mozart’s native Salzburg. The missing score was found, quite by accident, by the head of the music collection at Budapest’s National Szechenyi Library. Exactly how the manuscript made its way to Budapest is somewhat of a mystery, since Mozart is not known to have ever visited that city. But that’s not all: last year, one of Igor Stravinsky’s earliest works, which was believed to be lost after the 1917 Revolution, was found amid masses of papers at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Written in 1908, when Stravinsky was 26, the “Funeral Song,” was composed to commemorate the death of his teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It had disappeared after its only known performance, on January 17, 1909. These are just a few examples of lost-and-found musical compositions. We are guessing there may be many more out there, just waiting to be (re)discovered!

We’ll find your home!

Of course, most of the pieces written by composers and musicians, both past and contemporary, haven’t been lost. And that’s lucky because it means that you can choose from, literally, scores of compositions of different periods and genres. Our teachers are well versed in all kinds of music and will be happy to teach you any piece you like, in the comfort of your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Not only that, but we will send over a teacher who is “fluent” in the guitar, piano, cello, or any other instrument you’d like to play. Let’s put it this way: with Hey Joe Guitar music lessons, you have nothing to lose – and everything to gain!

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Three weeks ago, David Bowie’s fans were shocked and saddened by their idol’s death. From his first hit, the 1969 “Space Oddity ”, to his last album, “Blackstar ” – released two days before his passing – the pop icon influenced and changed the face of music. This made us think of all the other British-born musicians who found fame and fortune on this side of the Big Pond. Bowie, of course was one of them: born in London, he moved to the United States in the 1970s and had lived right here in New York for many years.

In fact, he once said, “I realized the other day that I’ve lived in New York longer than I’ve lived anywhere else. It’s amazing: I am a New Yorker.”

The British are coming!

Lest you start running for the hills let us assure you that this particular “invasion” has been of a strictly artistic – and therefore peaceful – nature. A good place to start is with The Beatles. The four lads from Liverpool made their first appearance on our shores in February 1964, arriving in New York to hordes of screaming teenage fans waiting for them at the airport . Eventually, all four band members settled in the United States, with two of them in New York: the late John Lennon in the famous Dakota Building and Paul McCartney on Fifth Avenue. Four months after The Beatles conquered America, another British band “rolled” into our country – The Rolling Stones. And even though the group started out as an English rock band, over the years it has become an integral part of the American music scene.

Jolly good lads

There are also many individual UK-bred musicians who made it big in our country. Sting, for instance. He was born in England but, having found fame in America (first as The Police frontman and later solo), he settled in New York and now lives in Central Park West. We can only assume that his 1987 hit, “Englishman in New York ” was very personal and perhaps even autobiographical. Let’s move to another quintessential English chap who became a big hit in the United States – Rod Stewart. His signature raspy voice won him scores of U.S. fans, prompting him to move here in 1975. A year later, he reached the top of the U.S. charts with his hit, “Tonight's the Night .” And we can’t talk about British-born musicians without mentioning the great Elton John, who “conquered” America in 1970. He opened his first U.S. concert, in West Hollywood, with his breakthrough single, “Your Song ,” becoming more famous (and flamboyant!) soon after. Of course, there have been many more talented British exports – including Davy Jones of “The Monkees,” Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Freddy Mercury, Andy Gibb, and many others, too numerous to mention here. We salute them all, along with the unforgettable David Bowie.

From far and near

We can’t tell you that ALL of our awesome teachers come from Great Britain, but some of them do! In fact, Hey Joe Guitar is as much of a “melting pot” as our great city – our teachers come from many countries, including, of course, the United States. But no matter where they were born, they have two things in common: one, they are all New Yorkers and two, they are all graduates of top music schools and have lots of experience teaching a variety of instruments to students of all ages and levels of proficiency. This way you can be sure that when one of our teachers comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, you’ll get only the best “exports.”

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We tend to think of classical composers and their orchestras as serious and dignified. There is no doubt that many of them were, or at least that’s how they went down in history. But that wasn’t always the case. Weird and wacky things happen to all humans, no matter how brilliant, talented, or famous!

In the centuries past, there was no CNN or twitter, no one recorded embarrassing moments with a cell phone and posted the footage on Facebook, and news didn’t go global in the matter of seconds. The very notion of “celebrity gossip” was not as developed back then, and scandals were discussed in whispers rather than shouted from the rooftops. But all this doesn’t mean awkward and weird incidents didn’t happen back then – even in classical music. Let’s look at some of them.

Cringeworthy moments

Let’s start with the Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. Actually, his story falls under the category of tragicomedy – it started out funny but had an unhappy end. He had a habit of whacking the floor with a long wooden stick to keep the beat. Once, during the performance of his “Te Deum ” to celebrate the recovery of King Louis XIV’s from surgery, he hit his foot with the stick. He contracted gangrene from the wound but refused to have his leg amputated so he could still dance. Unfortunately, he didn’t dance for very long – the gangrene spread and killed him. A century later, Ludwig van Beethoven had his own mishap while in Vienna. As he was becoming more absorbed in his music, he started to care less about his grooming and appearance. One day, while taking a walk, the disheveled composer was mistaken for a bum and arrested for loitering. Fortunately, he was soon released and lived long enough to compose his final, and possibly most famous, Ninth Symphony . And then there was Johannes Brahms. He was known for the unusual shape of his pants, often cutting them so they would reach his ankles exactly. Once, before conducting a performance of his own violin concerto , he forgot to attach his suspenders. By the end of the final movement, the pants descended way below his hips. Not exactly an AC Hammer moment, but embarrassing nevertheless!

Pure and simple

The above anecdotes go to prove that nobody is perfect – in fact, there are a lot of examples showing that geniuses are often a bit wacky. But, as you can see, a bit of eccentricity had not stopped these famous composers (with the exception of Lully, perhaps) from continuing their work. And maybe, just maybe, this “crazy streak” made the artists even more creative and productive. Now, we certainly don’t want you to associate the word “crazy” with “music education.” We hasten to assure you that there is nothing even slightly odd about our lessons. When one of our (totally normal) teachers comes to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, there will be no weird pants, no whacking of sticks, and (hopefully) no arrests for vagrancy! What you WILL get is a great, personalized music lesson – no drama!

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We often say – and will continue to do so – that music is beneficial to us humans on so many levels: as a health booster, stress reducer, key to success, memory enhancer, and in many other ways. All of that is true. However, we thought it would be fun to explore the other side of the coin, so to speak: the feuds between famous musicians. Of course, these spats have nothing to do with music per se, but, rather, with the sometimes conflicting personalities of composers and performers.

After all, no matter how talented these folks are, they are merely human and, as such, not exactly infallible.

Scandalous behavior

Rock musicians are the notorious “bad boys” of the music world, so you might be surprised to learn that even the classical composers sometimes quarreled with each other. Perhaps one of the best known conflicts in the history of music was the “War of the Romantics” – a conservatively minded group of composers led by Johannes Brahms, against a more progressive thinkers represented by Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Thankfully, their grievances were not petty or trivial, and had nothing to do with egos or fame. Rather, they were of artistic nature – the two groups butted heads over the traditional versus new forms of music. The former group favored music for music’s sake – that is, as entertainment. The second group, on the other hand, called for compositions that would include social, moral and cultural components. We are happy to report that the conflict, which put these distinguished composers at odds did not culminate in blows. It was limited to written manifestos and hissing at concerts.

No bridge over troubled water

The civility of the 19th century had not totally spilled over to the current times. For instance, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s feud has been well documented. The once successful pair broke up in 1970, when, after a furious row, Simon quit. To this day, Garfunkel blames the split on his band mate, calling him a “monster” and an “idiot.” Then there was the fight between one-time friends, Elton John and Madonna. The hostility was sparked in 2002 when John described Madonna’s theme song for “Die Another Day ” as “the worst Bond tune ever.” More recent spats include the one between Katy Perry and Lily Allen, whom Perry called “fat,” as well as Courtney Love’s jab at former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, whom she accused of being “sexually obsessed” with her late husband, Curt Cobain. These are just a few examples of conflicts, past and present, among musicians. There are many more!

We’ll never do battle!

Needless to say, most musicians don’t get into rowdy rows, and we can guarantee that our teachers never do, either. No matter what instrument they teach, they and their students play well together! So when you invite our teacher into your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office, you’ll get no quarrel from us!

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Here’s a thought that probably never crossed your mind: if classical composers were alive today and good at using social messaging tools, what kind of tweets or Facebook posts would they be putting out about their BFFs? We are only guessing, of course, but perhaps Mozart would post something along the lines of: “Hanging out and jamming with Haydn.”

Smiley Face!

Sounds far-fetched? Maybe it is, but the fact remains that even though we think of great composers as geniuses (and rightly so), they too were human and enjoyed friendships with other accomplished musicians of their time.

The Mozart effect

One of the best-documented relationships of the Classical period was the friendship between Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Based on historical evidence, the two Austrians got along, um, famously, even though they had different temperaments: Haydn was, by all accounts, calm and reserved, while his younger counterpart was more vivacious and mercurial (which only goes to prove that opposites really do attract). Their orchestras were structured slightly differently as well: Haydn preferred the English horn over the clarinet, whereas Mozart favored the latter instrument. As Mozart said, referring to Haydn, “He alone has the secret of making me smile and touching me to the bottom of my soul.” In fact, between 1782 and 1785 Mozart dedicated a group of six string quartets one , two , three , four , five and six to Haydn

A talented pupil

Now, what about the relationship between Mozart and Beethoven? It was not so much a friendship as a mentor – student relationship. As a young man, Beethoven admired Mozart, who was 14 years his senior, and hoped to take music lessons from the great composer. Finally, in 1786, young Beethoven traveled from Bonn to Vienna to meet his idol. According to historical accounts, Mozart was reportedly in a foul mood and when the young prodigy showed up at his house, he demanded: “Play something!” Beethoven performed the opening of Mozart's C minor Piano Concerto . “Not that,” Mozart said gruffly. “Anybody can play that. Play something of your own.” Beethoven did and when he finished, Mozart told his wife, Constanze, “Watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about.” He agreed to take Beethoven on as a student, but Beethoven’s mother became ill and he had no choice but to return to Bonn. By the time he came to Vienna again in November 1792, Mozart was dead. Beethoven remained an admirer of Mozart’s even as his own fame grew. In 1798 he published his variations for cello and piano on the aria “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, followed four years later by his variations on another Magic Flute aria, Papageno’s “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen.”

Let’s be friends!

We find the above stories of friendship / mentorship very inspiring – and there are more examples! We hope that they will inspire you to start playing any of the instruments mentioned above – the piano, cello, or other instruments. Contact us, and one of our fantastic teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office for a truly inspiring lesson!

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