Son cubano originates in Eastern Cuba, and is super interesting because it is the product of transcultural exchange. It got super popular in the 1930s, and it's heartfelt rhythms and song combine the Spanish canción with Afro-cuban drumming and beats. We could trace the intersection of cultures, the movement of soul around the globe through musical traditions- and what a place to birth a new musical style- the heart of the Caribbean! The Caribbean is a special place you know,

Sam is putting together a series of videos about various drums, percussion instruments, musical techniques, and more. So, want to up your percussion game? Stay tuned for these one minute videos, where Sam teaches basic beats from African and Afro-Cuban music, technique for classical and contemporary percussion, and other random bits of musical wisdom amassed over a couple decades of playing professionally, teaching babies, children, and adults, and just generally being a love

I sat down with Sam the other day, to ask about what he does when he is writing a song. In particular, I was curious about the song, The Little Blue Fish, which is a lullaby he wrote for our would-be babies before they were even conceived. For a while we were religious about playing it to them before they went to sleep. It was a goodnight song, and we swore they would hear it and immediately conk out at the same time for the whole night. If you have ever tried to put newborn

The thing is, raising young children is isolating. We've all hear that old and tired adage "it takes a village to raise a child." Now if only we had a dollar for every time we wondered where the hell our villages are. When you're tired because you woke up at 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and then at 7 for the day, you need people. Maybe you have enough people helping you, but its hard for me to imagine and I've got a mother who washes bottles like nobody's business and an a

So if you have young children, it's likely you've heard about early literacy and the many, many things you can do to set your wee one up for success. Maybe you've built a book nook (we have!) or maybe you read seven stories before bed every night (bless your heart) or maybe you point out words and writing when you come across it in the real world. Whatever you're doing, you are probably rocking it. And it's always a good idea to keep rocking it, especially when rocking out wi

As a child, my parents took me to see the San Francisco symphony. We sat above what only could have been some sort of organ: I mostly remember staring at the shiny gold pipes that were vibrating with sound. After this trip, I was to pick an instrument. I was going to play classical music. Since I spent all my time looking at the organ pipes, I failed to identify an instrument that I really loved. I recall flipping through the program and seeing lists of names beneath instrume

So often, we see headlines that link music education to success for kids- the connection between music and high-achieving math students is quite frequently reported on, and there are lists upon lists of the high-achievers from Hollywood to Wall Street who fondly recall playing clarinet concertos or credit their trumpet lessons with teaching them discipline. So what is it about music that everyone is after? While certainly, the benefits are numerous, we think it goes far beyo