music | ReadOasis

The Most Famous Not a Protest Song (Step 5)

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ReadOasis Step 5 Protest songs speak out against problems in society. We can hear protest songs at pivotal moments of activism in western history, during the civil rights, anti-war, feminist, labor, and environmental movements. Protest singers have also sung about slave emancipation and women's suffrage. Of the many protest... Read more

The Queen of Glamour Rock

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ReadOasis Step 4 "I thought up the name Queen. It's just a name, but it's very royal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations." Freddie Mercury Queen formed in... Read more

Metal Music and Metallica

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ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) I am an alcoholic and an addict and I didn't want to see my children do the same thing. Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal singer Heavy metal is a style of rock music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has roots in... Read more

Mary Had a Little Lamb

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ReadOasis Step 2 Thomas Edison with Phonograph Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a famous children's song. It was written by Sarah Hale and first published on May 24, 1830. The song is based on real events. There was a girl named Mary Sawyer. She had a pet lamb,... Read more

BTS Like the Beatles

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ReadOasis Step 3 Photo by Korea.net (Creative Commons) It was the first stadium concert ever. When the Beatles made their entrance, the crowd exploded with noise. Smiling and laughing, the band ran to the stage in the middle of a baseball diamond. The crowd of 56,000 screamed, yelled, and... Read more

Master of Words: Bob Dylan

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It was January 1961. In the cold north of Minnesota, a young man of 19 years packed his bags. He was going to New York City. By car, the trip would take over 18 hours. And he was travelling by his thumb. In other... Read more

Ukulele Revolution

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ReadOasis Step 2 Tiny Tim walked onto the stage. His long black hair swung down to his shoulders. He made a shy face, and he rolled his eyes. Then he started to play the ukulele and sing. His voice was very high. The song was cute, but also strange.... Read more

Lady Sings the Blues

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ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees These sad words open the song “Strange Fruit.” The song was written by Abel Meeropol, and it... Read more

Isaac Watts: Father of Hymns (Step 3)

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ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora A hymn is a song of praise to God. In many cultures, people sing hymns at church services and on special celebrations like Christmas. Many prominent musicians today, such as Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood mastered singing and performing... Read more

Genius for Melody

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ReadOasis Step 4 (Part 1) On June 2, 2010, President Barack Obama stood on a small stage in the White House. In the audience sat a mix of elite leaders and famous musicians. The President was about to give America’s highest award for popular music to Paul McCartney of the... Read more

The Motown Sound (Step 3)

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ReadOasis Step 3 The Motown Museum (Wikipedia) Soul music combines rhythm and blues and gospel. Like the blues, soul arose out of the black experience in America, and soul musicians took these styles out of the black church and into the world and the streets. They confidently and proudly... Read more

Paul Desmond and Take Five

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ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora “I would also like to thank my father, who discouraged me from playing the violin.” These are the words of Paul Desmond. He is one of the most popular musicians to come out of the West Coast cool jazz scene. Surely, he liked... Read more

Sex, Drugs, Death, and Rock and Roll

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ReadOasis Step 2 Wikipedia lists over 100 famous musicians who have died drug related deaths. Maybe fame and fortune forced them to excess. Perhaps the music industry sold them a senseless and crazy image. "Be like me! I'm rich, reckless, and pleasure-seeking. And now I will crash my Ferrari... Read more

A Force for Good in Music

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ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) U2 in Concert It was a cool winter night in January 2002 in New York. The city that never sleeps was wide-awake and full of movement. Even in the cold, you could feel the energy of arts, entertainment, culture, and money. That week, top... Read more

Isaac Albéniz, Genius of Spanish Music

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By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 2 Isaac Albéniz (May 29, 1860 - May 18, 1909) was a genius of Spanish music. He gave his first concert when he was four years old. And at the young age of nine, he began his concert career. By age 15, he had... Read more

Stairway to Heaven

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By Douglas Forster ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) “And we’re back. I’m Jim Ladd, and you’re listening to KMET. We’re the south’s number one station for the rock and roll music you need for your soul. Before the break, I announced that I would be accepting requests. And boy,... Read more

The Heaviest Band: Led Zeppelin

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By Douglas Forster ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Good evening. My name is James Patrick Page. But most everyone knows me as Jimmy Page. I am the lead guitarist for the greatest rock and roll band of all time, Led Zeppelin. This is our story through my eyes. I... Read more

Woodstock: A Symbol of the 1960s (Step 2)

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ReadOasis Step 2 The middle of August marks an important moment in popular music history. In 1969, about 2,500 people lived in Bethel, New York. But that summer, there were big ideas for that small town. Concert promoters planned to hold a music festival on a local farm. They... Read more

Michael Jackson: King of Pop

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ReadOasis Step 3 In March 1983, Motown Records celebrated its 25th anniversary with a major television event. Many Motown artists gave impressive performances, but Michael Jackson upstaged them all when he sang Billie Jean and revealed his signature dance move, the moonwalk. His performance caused many to perceive him... Read more

Experienced in the Blues: Eric Clapton

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ReadOasis Step 2 In June 1999, Eric Clapton sold 100 of his guitars. And his 1956 Fender guitar went for the record price of $497,500. In total, the sale brought in $5 million dollars. And Clapton gave the money to a drug and alcohol clinic that he started. After... Read more