Insights and information
about music, brain health, aging, and much more.
Guess Who’s Singing Beside You? George Klippel: Bilingual, Bongo-playing Bass
George brings his beautiful bass to every choir he sings with! As Sounds Good Choir added more choirs in different communities throughout Chicagoland, a new type of singer was born—the choir hopper. Choir hoppers are those singers who can’t get enough of Sounds Good...
Guess Who’s Singing Beside You? Jason Allen: Conductor, Caterer & Care Partner
Jason Allen’s singing career began at the tender age of two while riding in the back seat of his Aunt Bet’s car. “We were headed down south for a funeral, and my aunt started singing. I kept saying, ‘Sing, Aunt Bet, sing’ and soon I began to sing along.” Jason went on...
14 of the Best Books for Music Lovers
Whether you’re a fan of the historical novel or a science-based inquiry into music’s effect on the human brain, a mystery lover or a Beatles fan... there’s something for everyone who loves music on this list of new and classic books of fiction and nonfiction, short...
When the Clouds Lift: The Genesis of “Here Comes the Sun”
George Harrison and Eric ClaptonRock history is full of great stories about the ways in which iconic tunes came into being. One of my favorites is the tale of George Harrison’s writing “Here Comes the Sun,” a favorite of our singers in the Summer Rocks 2025 session....
You’ve Got Many Friends (Just Like Carole King)
There are stories of pieces of music just coming to the composer or songwriter as if it’s an immediate download. There is a sense of not even thinking, not exerting with effort, but rather of being the receiver of the music. As a composer myself, I’ve had that...
Guess Who’s Singing Beside You? Judy Peres—One Fabulous Adventurer
Judy Peres is writing a memoir that promises to be what booksellers call ‘a good read.’ “Old Growth: A Memoir of Love, Lumber, and Late-Life Exuberance” relates Judy’s adventures after age 60, when many of us are easing into retirement. Not Judy! She took a buyout...