a man holding a microphone up to his ear

HIP TO THE SCENE: THE ANATOMY OF THE ANTHEM

“We will, we will rock you.”  Most of us perk up a bit the moment we hear those six words. Our head starts to nod a bit aggressively...

HIP TO THE SCENE: AUTO-TUNE AND PITCH CORRECTION; WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

We’ve all heard about Auto-Tune and pitch correction. Most of us know it is used to “fix” imperfect vocals. But the difference between the two can be...
a row of guitars hanging on a wall

HIP TO THE SCENE: IN SEARCH OF A SPROCKET

Instant access to and availability of new products is one of the more challenging aspects of living in the Keys. For musicians, the need for gear is...
a person holding a guitar in their hand

HIP TO THE SCENE: PLAYING THROUGH THE PAIN

Yesterday I found myself shopping for a chair to use for solo acoustic gigs. What should have been a “find a cheap chair and be done with...
a woman wearing a black jacket and a blue top

HIP TO THE SCENE: AUTO-TUNE — STANDARDIZING PERFECTION

The year is 1998. The Mars Rover hits the news — and a rock — and Cher comes out with an autotune-saturated song called “Believe.” The effect...
a man with his arms up in the air

KEY WEST MUSIC COLUMN: WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SING SYLLABLES 

You’re driving down the road singing along to a song you know most of the words to, and somewhere in the middle of a “get down boogie...
person playing a brown guitar

HIP TO THE SCENE: MONEY TALKS, SO SHOP LOCAL

As residents of this tiny island, we all eventually come to realize we can’t always get what we want. Or even, sometimes, what we need — at...
a man in a suit and tie playing a guitar

HIP TO THE SCENE: CRAFTING A SONG

Recently while doing some late-night research,I found myself watching a video for a song called “Night Flight” by local troubadour Gary Hempsey. For me, videos, while they...
a group of women standing on top of a stage

HIP TO THE SCENE: IT’S ALL ABOUT HARMONY

Harmony: the sound of more than one note played simultaneously. The definition seems simple enough, but harmony and its effects on the brain have been the subject...
a group of people that are on a stage

HIP TO THE SCENE: WHO WON THIS YEAR’S KEY WEST MUSIC AWARDS?

Winners of the 2024 Key West Music Awards Entertainer of the Year: Bria Ansara Song of the Year: Gary Hempsey Album of the Year: Tony Baltimore Songwriter of the Year:Tony Baltimore Rising...

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get Keys Weekly delivered right to your inbox along with a daily dose of Keys News.

Success! Please check your email for confirmation.