Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
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Dr. Kevin McBrien is a musicologist, writer, editor, and speaker who is passionate about connecting others with classical music. Check out his article on classical music featuring history, interesting tidbits, interviews and more!
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
5M ago
After 7 years of hosting this blog on WordPress, I have decided to pack up shop and move over to Substack. There are a few reasons behind this decision, the primary one being to allow space for me to create shorter, more frequent posts. The new blog — dubbed Open Ears — will feature content ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
We live in an age where classical music has lost much of its wider cultural relevance, but a select few composers still loom large in the public consciousness. Take Mozart, for instance. His recognizable face is plastered on everything from ugly Christmas sweaters to chocolate wrappers. He’s shown up in books, movies, and TV shows ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
We live in an age where classical music has lost much of its wider cultural relevance, but a select few composers still loom large in the public consciousness. Take Mozart, for instance. His recognizable face is plastered on everything from ugly Christmas sweaters to chocolate wrappers. He’s shown up in books, movies, and TV shows ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Laura Poe is a musician of kaleidoscopic talent. Besides being an outstanding solo pianist, she is an accompanist, vocal coach (or répétiteur, as the French say), music editor, arranger, and educator who has worked around the world with some of classical music’s finest artists. Though equally comfortable in the concert hall, her primary home is ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Well folks, we made it. Another year in the books. 2022 was, for the most part, a seemingly normal year (whatever “normal” may mean these days). Besides the start of a senseless war in Ukraine, a contentious election season, climate change worries, and other tensions and tragedies at home and abroad, many of our activities ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
There’s a moment in the first episode of Mozart in the Jungle when the camera cuts to a lively party in progress at a spacious New York City apartment. Young people are scattered throughout the room, which is abuzz with chatting and drinking. One character scratches a record back and forth on a turntable before ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Some days, you just get the burning desire to fly 2,700 miles across the country to hear a great orchestra. At least I do, being the unabashed nerd that I am. Last month, as I continued to adjust to life post-PhD and search for a full-time job, I decided to take a short trip to ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Another holiday season is upon us, and with that comes a wealth of season-appropriate music. (Some good and some not so good. Here’s looking at you, Bob Dylan, and your Christmas album. Yikes.) The sacred realm, in particular, contains an absolute treasure trove of works that honor and celebrate the birth of Jesus. So much ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Well, hey there! It’s been a hot minute since my last post, hasn’t it? The past few months have been quite the whirlwind of activity. The biggest news is that I recently graduated with my PhD in musicology from UC Santa Barbara. (Woohoo!! *Cue smattering of confetti*) As exciting as this achievement was, the first ..read more
Dr. Kevin McBrien Blog
1y ago
Although most of the hubbub surrounding Beethoven’s 250th birthday has subsided, a few bits of the celebration have lingered into 2021 as concert halls worldwide open up once again. However, one recent Beethoven item has raised many eyebrows in the music world. Back in September, the news broke that a team of computer specialists and ..read more