classical
Beat showcases all things classical; get your fix of Beethoven, Bach and beyond with plenty of Pomp and even more Circumstance.
Sing Me an Aria
The Barber of Seville is a comic opera by Gioachino Rossini, centered around themes of love, deception, and clever schemes. The story follows Count Almaviva, who is in love with Rosina, the ward of the wealthy Dr. Bartolo. He disguised himself as a poor student, Lindoro Almaviva, and serenaded Rosina to win her affection. Figaro, the clever barber of Seville, assists Almaviva in his plans to outsmart Dr. Bartolo, who intends to marry Rosina himself.
By Rasma Raisters2 days ago in Beat
The Quiet That Follows the Applause
I didn’t cry at the end of Better Call Saul. I cried three days later, while washing dishes. The water was hot, the sponge worn thin, and suddenly—without warning—I saw Kim Wexler’s hands again. Not in the courtroom. Not in the finale. But in that tiny Albuquerque office, adjusting the blinds just so, trying to control one small thing in a world spinning out of her grasp.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
A New Year's Piano Medley
Welp, time for some humble honesty: I did in fact abandon my New Year's resolution for 2025. This is rather expected, for many; jokes are found everywhere about many of us would-be-changed-folks not lasting more than three days into a new year before failing their resolutions. More embarrassing than that, though, I failed at the resolution which I made public on Vocal (and even got a runner-up prize for in their New Year's resolution-based challenge...yikes!). My resolution was to create and share, on YouTube and on Vocal, new original pieces of music every month. I did this for a while, but trailed off a little before the halfway mark through the year, just as some life things started to really pick up frenetic speed.
By Gabriel Huizengaabout a month ago in Beat
The Song That Brought Him Back
After my mother passed, grief settled into our home like winter fog—thick, gray, and impossible to ignore. He stopped whistling while fixing the sink. Stopped tapping his boot to the oldies station. Even his laugh, once so loud it startled the dogs, vanished into a silence so heavy it filled every room. For two years, he moved through life like a man walking in someone else’s shoes. So when he said, voice barely above a whisper, “Let’s go south for New Year’s,” I didn’t ask why. I just booked the tickets.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Tyla’s Chart-Topping Rise
Introduction When South African singer Tyla released her self-titled debut album in late 2023, few predicted it would ignite a global movement. But by 2025, her name was everywhere: on Billboard charts, Grammy stages, and playlists from Lagos to Los Angeles. Fueled by her breakout hit “Water”—a seductive fusion of amapiano, R&B, and pop—Tyla didn’t just enter the global music scene; she reshaped it.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Richard Smallwood
Introduction In recent months, false rumors have spread online with alarming speed: searches like “gospel singer Richard Smallwood died”, “Richard Smallwood passed away”, and “Richard Smallwood cause of death” have surged—despite having no basis in truth.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Static Between Songs: A Story About Memory, Music, and the Tracks That Follow Us
There are certain summers that don’t seem important until much later—until the songs you once played casually suddenly echo louder than ever before. For me, that summer was 2021, and the playlist that carried it has followed me like a shadow. I didn’t build it with intention. It wasn’t something I meant to preserve. But the songs stayed, and with them, a person I thought I had finally forgotten.
By Hazel James2 months ago in Beat
