For those of you who don't know, I joined the Univeristy of Southern California's Marching Band this Semester. I had always been a part of the drumline during high school, but didn't join the band during my first year in college. My idea was to make sure I could handle classes before committing to the band. So, after weighing all of my other commitments for the semester, I decided that trying out for the USC drumline was a go.

Joining the Spirit of Troy has consumed a lot of my time, but being part of this band is also very rewarding. One such reward is regularly being on TV. This time, the band is going to be on ESPN in a battle of the Bands contest. We filmed this a couple of months ago after a Saturday morning practice, and we are pretty happy to finally see the result. You can see the video of us playing the theme to the Raiders of the Lost Arc online at ESPN's website. You can also vote for the best band at the website. So, if you are so inclined, please vote for USC! The winning band will be announced on College Gameday on October 11.

If you want to see more of the Trojan Marching Band, check out a USC football game, or come on campus any Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoon in the Fall to hear us practice.

Fight on!

Introducing BenBeitzel.com, the latest creation from JAVConcepts. BenBeitzel.com is the "officially rad website for Benjamin R. Beitzel," a musician, actor, DJ, and a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

One of my favorite parts about this new website is the videos page. Ben has produced a number of short videos with himself, and with his band Lovenotes. Ben's videos are creative and innovative, and are certainly a joy a to watch. The award winning Rhythm of the Park is a great example of Ben's talent.

Other sections of the website include recent news, a schedule of events, DJ testimonials, and a short Bio page with contact information.

Be sure to check out this new website, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment! If you like Ben's work, and can't get enough, then try the new Lovenotes CD entitled The Early Years, now available on iTunes.

Sock Oom POW, the latest group coming out of USC, debuted at 2nd Street Jazz this past Thursday night. The funky, 8 piece group played a number of original songs along with a few classic R&B hits. The band started of with an upbeat crowd pleaser called "Everybody Dance Tonight", and continued to rock the house with two full sets of R&B bliss. Catchy rhythms and a clean sound are sure to make this group an instant favorite.

This band is a collection of some serious talent. Each of the members in the group sounds like a professional. The group stands out from other high school and college bands. The original songs that Sock Oom POW members wrote are catchy, and fun to dance to. As SC student Brian Ball puts it, "I was impressed to see how a group of people that usually don't do much R&B put together two great sets, much of which was their own material. I'm pretty sure there were only two covers in over an hour of music. The horn hits were really nice and well-timed - they sounded like they had been playing together for years." It was impressive to see such a large band come together to create solid sound that is easy to listen to.

The majority of the music we listen to today is driven by the lyrical content of the song. The music behind many of these songs, however, is simple and uninspiring, merely accenting what is being said. Every so often, an artist will break away from the usual formula for making a song to explore the challenge of creating a compelling piece driven entirely by music. What follows are my favorite 5 instrumental songs out of the artists I have in my iTunes.

5. Spanish Fly - Van Halen

I chose this song as #5 because of the beautiful sound of the acoustic guitar and the simplicity of having only one instrument. Van Halen plays swiftly with incredible precision. The variety of playing techniques he fits into a one minute song is remarkable. Check out an inspiring rendition of "Spanish Fly" in this YouTube video.

4. This Book is a Movie - Spoon

"This Book is a Movie" is solid song from the indie-rock group Spoon. In this song, Spoon brings out a unique timbre in each of their instruments such as the guitar that sounds like steeple bells. The piece starts with a couple hits of 'the bell' that seem to place us in the twilight, a couple of hours before sunrise. From here, the listener is hooked and the song takes off into the night.