by Joe Bennett | Feb 9, 2026 | 5live, fm, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I blew our horns! The trumpet has played a central role in the development of Western popular music, particularly in jazz, where it emerged as a leading melodic and improvisational voice in the early 20th century. Its bright timbre and dynamic range... 
by Joe Bennett | Feb 9, 2026 | 5live, Forensic Musicology, music education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I went a capella! A cappella, or acapella, music refers to unaccompanied singing, a practice that originated in Renaissance sacred music and later developed across classical, folk, gospel, and popular traditions. While historically associated with... 
by Joe Bennett | Jan 26, 2026 | 5live, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored the Andalusian cadence! The Andalusian cadence is a descending harmonic pattern, most commonly i–♭VII–♭VI–V in minor keys, with roots in flamenco and earlier Iberian traditions. It has been used throughout classical music, jazz, pop,... 
by Joe Bennett | Dec 22, 2025 | 5live, fm, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored all things Ukulele! Originating in the late 19th century and later absorbed into American popular music, the ukulele is often associated with novelty or informality, but its history spans Tin Pan Alley standards, folk revivals, indie... 
by Joe Bennett | Dec 22, 2025 | 5live, fm, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I hit the studio! Electric Lady Studios began as Jimi Hendrix’s answer to the high cost and limitations of rented studio time during the sessions for his 1968 album Electric Ladyland. In 1968 he bought The Generation, a defunct Greenwich Village... 
by John Pierce O'Reilly | Dec 19, 2025 | Forensic Musicology, Research, Songwriting
[Joe’s comment] I appeared on CBS this morning, in discussion with journalist and songwriter David Pogue about What Makes For A Great Christmas Song? (video link). Here’s the first part of the article: Every year at this time, some of the greatest songs in...
Recent Comments