We have said it many times before and we still stand by it: music training is good for you! However, this doesn’t mean that every music experience is always calm and uneventful; sometimes, concerts incite not only applause and calls for an encore, but also utter chaos.

You might think we are talking about women throwing their panties at Elvis Presley so he could wipe his sweaty brow with the undergarments, or teenage girls screaming, swooning, and sometimes even fainting at the Beatles’ concerts. No. We are referring here to real riots, which, surprisingly, occurred at classical music concerts. And some of them happened even in our city! Let’s look at a few of the most famous – or, in this case, infamous – ones that… struck the wrong notes with audiences.

Dissention in the ranks

It is no secret that not everyone is a fan of Richard Wagner, the 19th century German composer known for his somber music. In 1861, at a Paris performance of his opera “Tannhauser,” he placed the ballet sequence in the first act rather than in second, as originally written. Talk about a faux pas! The change outraged purist spectators, who showed their discontent with loud cat-calls, whistles, and general ruckus that disrupted the performance and caused a scandal in Parisian art circles. Half a century later, also in Paris, broken canes and crushed fedoras were not the only victims of a brawl that broke out in May 1913 during the premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, “The Rite of Spring.” Though now a classic, at that time both the music and choreography were clearly too shocking to audiences accustomed to the elegance and grace of classical ballets. As soon as the performance began, furious spectators started to boo the orchestra and dancers. Their outrage, according to eyewitness reports, was sparked by the sound of the bassoon – described as “strangled” – “fluttering and twittering woodwind sounds,” as well as “pulsating rhythms” that were far too avant-garde for the sensibilities of the early 20th century music patrons. Very soon, fighting erupted and spread throughout the audience. Police were called but were unable to contain the riot; Stravinsky did the only rational thing he could under the circumstances – he fled the scene. Much later, in 1973, a riot of sorts was staged – pun intended – in our own Carnegie Hall. A concert by Boston Symphony featured Mozart and Liszt, which, of course, appealed to the tastes of classical music lovers. However, the musicians also performed Steve Reich’s “Four Organs.” Some of the audience members didn’t dig the repetitive music of this minimalist piece, creating a scene. One elderly woman even removed her shoe and struck the stage with it in protest. As the conductor later said, “We kept going, even though people were having fistfights in the audience.” And there are many more instances of musical riots throughout history.

A peaceful experience

As the above examples demonstrate, when it comes to music, people’s emotions sometimes run high. We too are very passionate about music, though in a more positive and peaceful way. That’s why when our teachers come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office, they will not run riot. To the contrary, they will always be respectful of your (or your child’s) musical tastes and support your efforts to master your instrument with kindness and patience. Yes, our teachers are definitely pacifists, but when it comes to excellent music education, they will fight the good fight!

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Have you ever wondered where various genres of the so-called “American” music originated? Let’s see: jazz and ragtime were born in New Orleans, while the country western style had its beginnings in Georgia. However, the South, although prolific, was not the only birthplace of American music. Our great city, New York, has a rich history of its own, and it is not limited merely to Broadway’s musical theater. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the Big Apple has been an important center for many different musical genres and phenomena.

It all started with Tin Pan Alley, the hub for city’s songwriters and music publishers from the late 19th century until the 1930s.

New York, New York

In the early 20th century, New York’s lively song-publishing industry was centered on 28th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway. By the 1920s, it moved south and west – around Broadway and 32nd Street; ultimately, it ended up on Broadway between 42nd and 50th streets – not coincidentally, the area of the budding musical theater. The phrase “tin pan” – or so the story goes – referred to the sound of piano keys pounded by players demonstrating latest tunes – ballads, dance music, and vaudeville – to publishers. Quite a few of these “Tin Pan Alley” songs became American classics: Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “I Got Rhythm” by the Gershwin brothers, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Ol’Man River,” and Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” among many others. You can see why, in its own time, Tin Pan Alley was such a significant part of New York’s musical and cultural history. And as the 20th century progressed, several genres sprang up right here in our city.

The birth of music

Originally, blues came from the Mississippi Delta at the end of the 1800s. Decades later, the New York blues emerged with a newer, more urban sound. From the 1940s to 1960s, musicians in Greenwich Village created a new style of American folk music rooted in political activism. Pete Seeger and Joan Baez were among the most outspoken New York-born folk singers of that era. In the 1970s, the downtown music scene saw the advent of punk rock with home-grown groups like New York Dolls and Ramones . At about the same time, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, hip-hop was born. According to PBS, “on August 11, 1973 DJ Kool Herc, a building resident, was entertaining at his sister’s back-to-school party, and tried something new on the turntable: he extended an instrumental beat (breaking or scratching) to let people dance longer (break dancing) and began MC’ing (rapping) during the extended breakdancing.” As you can see, New York City’s musicians have played a significant role in the creation or expansion of various music genres.

New Yorkers unite!

At Hey Joe Guitar, we are proud to be a part of New York’s cultural history. While we have not (to date) invented any new music genres, we can teach any kind of music, on any instrument. Our teachers are well versed not only in New York-born genres, but in all other styles as well – classical, jazz, rock, pop – if it has been invented, we can teach it. As soon as you contact us, we will send one of our amazing teachers to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office. Maybe he or she will help you find your own sound – in New York, anything is possible!

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The month of May is coming to an end, and for parents this means school is either already out or soon will be. For high school seniors, it also marks a major event, a rite of passage known as the prom.

Most of us may have forgotten the algebra we learned in high school, but we remember what we wore, who our date was, and what songs we danced to at our prom. These are the memories that last a lifetime.

Sure, there were occasional mishaps and awkward moments, but for the vast majority of seniors the prom night is a special and magical occasion. And it should be, because it symbolizes so much more than just dancing the night away – it is about growing up and moving on to life’s new challenges.

This magic moment

Fashioned after the debutante balls that were popular in the 19th century among the titled and wealthy, the word “prom” is derived from “promenade” – the march of elegantly clad guests arriving for the dance.

With ballrooms and stretch limos, today’s proms are pretty lavish – certainly a far cry from humble school gymnasiums of yore, which were festively decorated with disco balls and streamers. In fact, in the 1930s and 40s, when high schools first started to organize proms (and mention them in yearbooks), they were simple, strictly chaperoned events. Kids wore nice “Sunday best” clothes, but certainly nothing as extravagant – or expensive – as is customary today.

It is interesting to note how proms have changed over the past decades – the fashions, the songs, and the whole experience.

A night to remember

Is it just us, or did teenagers of the 1940s really look older than the current generation ? In any case, proper manners and etiquette seemed to be of paramount importance back then and continued to spill into the next decade as well, at least according to this trailer . But those of us who saw the movie “Grease” know better: the teens of the 1950s knew how to party and push the limits of propriety!

Speaking of movies, here is a great compilation of prom scenes spanning the decades between the 1980s and the present. And if you are wondering which prom songs have been the most popular in the past decade or so, here’s your answer!

Save the last dance for us

We are not sure how good our teachers are on the dance floor (some of them may, in fact, have two left feet), so if you want dancing lessons we suggest you look elsewhere.

However, if you need top-notch music training – on whatever instrument – one of our teachers will swing by your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons. Even without the dancing, we’ll have a ball!

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