music | ReadOasis

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

Country Music is Storytelling

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One day, Johnny Cash took the stage. He smiled wide. His black clothes shined. He said, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." He picked up his guitar. He began to sing. His voice was deep, like a river's flow. The song was about a man. The man was in prison. The... Read more

Stevie, The Musical Wonder

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ReadOasis Step 3 The announcer opens the envelope. He looks down at the card, then smiles. "And the winner is, Stevie Wonder!" The crowd cheers and cheers. Their happiness fills the room. It was the 1989 Academy Awards. Stevie Wonder just won "Best Original Song." The song was "I... Read more

The Death of Bach and His Music

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ReadOasis Step 2 Johann looked at the piece of music. But he just saw clouds of dark marks on a page. He couldn't see the notes. He needed help. So, he asked a famous doctor to fix his eyes. The doctor's name was John Taylor. But Johann did not... Read more

Master of Words: Bob Dylan (Part 1)

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ReadOasis Step 2 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 words, he... Read more

Nature Boy — a Jazz Classic

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ReadOasis Step 2 Eden felt the sunlight warm his face. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. He stood up, walked forward, and looked down the hill. He took another deep breath and enjoyed the sight -- green trees, grand homes, and the city... Read more

The Greatest Band of All Time

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ReadOasis Step 3 February 9, 1964. "Hurry up!" shouted Mary as she turned on the TV. "It started already!" Just in time, Mary watched Ed Sullivan say, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!" The audience roared as the Beatles launched into their song "All My Loving." It was their first... 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 business,... Read more

Paul Desmond and Take Five

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ReadOasis Step 3By 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 violin... Read more

A Musical Money-Making Machine

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ReadOasis Step 3 Carrie Underwood by Eva Rinaldi (Creative Commons) Carrie was a country girl from Checotah, Oklahoma. She lived on a farm, and in the mornings, she would help her father feed the cows. Carrie loved to sing. She started singing at church when she was 3 years... Read more

Isaac Albéniz, Genius of Spanish Music

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By Maria SonoraReadOasis 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 given... Read more

Stairway to Heaven

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By Douglas ForsterReadOasis 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, have you... Read more

The Heaviest Band: Led Zeppelin

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By Douglas ForsterReadOasis 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 hope you... Read more

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

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ReadOasis Step 2 The Woodstock Experience 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... 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

The Biggest Band (Step 2)

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By Maria SonoraReadOasis Step 2 Imagine By Diego Torres Silvestre (Creative Commons) It was a hot August night in New York City, 1965. Two thousand policemen were in charge of security. They watched carefully as 55,000 fans filled Shea Stadium. But this was not for a baseball game. This... Read more

Isaac Watts: Father of Hymns (Step 2)

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ReadOasis Step 2 A hymn is a song of praise to God. People sing hymns at church services and on special holidays like Christmas. Many famous musicians, such as Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood, learned singing and performing at church. That is, they grew up... Read more

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black (Step 3)

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ReadOasis Step 3 Johnny Cash was a man of great presence, as if born from an ancient legend that reveals the contradictions of human life. Cash died in 2003, but he gave us a vast collection of over 50 years of music. He also created his own genre, between... Read more

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