Though it rarely involves concussions and broken bones, the world of classical music is harshly competitive.

For today’s musician, almost regardless of genre, the pilgrimage to South by Southwest has become a rite of passage.



George “GT” Koumantaros, a pianist and singer who arrived in Santa Fe almost 35 years ago, died in his home on Feb. 1.

This Saturday, High Mayhem Emerging Arts hosts a dual CD release show that features the latest efforts by former Pitch & Bark frontman Luke Carr

Unlike musicians, most DJs don’t need a mic during their sets. This means less banter between songs.

In 1959, World War II veteran turned philosophy professor J Glenn Gray published The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle.

“We don’t take ourselves very seriously at all. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, what’s the point?”

In a small town like Santa Fe, we sometimes have to stray outside of county lines to check out a good venue. So it was that I found myself driving out to Taos on a recent Sunday just as the sun was beginning to set.

Some might argue that it all began with Richard Wagner. Although the famous 19th century German composer died 50 years before Hitler co-opted his masterpieces into the anthemic music of the Third Reich, Wagner helped pave the way for Hitler’s discriminatory suppression of major works of art.

Going to a jazz show these days feels a lot like going to a classical concert: the audience sits politely, applauds when (they think it’s) appropriate and leaves with the self-satisfied feel of having been cultured.