Category Archives: Features

Interview with composer Michael Giacchino

Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar

Summer’s hottest composer shares his love of Los Angeles musicians, balancing work and family, and how he maintained his sanity scoring three summer blockbusters back to back (to back)

From film and TV to video games, composer Michael Giacchino’s colorful and energetic music can be heard nearly everywhere. This is especially true this summer; in just a few short weeks, he scored three of the summer’s widest box-office releases — “Jurassic World,” “Inside Out” and “Tomorrowland” — without so much as a break. But hard work doesn’t seem to faze the prolific composer, whose obsession with music and movies began early. At 10, Giacchino would sneak tape recorders into movie theaters so he could listen to them each night as he fell asleep, and it wasn’t long before he started making stop-motion animation with homemade soundtracks in his parents’ basement. Continue reading →

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Photos by Linda A. Rapka

Dodger organist Nancy Bea Hefley talks about her three decades with LA’s Boys in Blue

Named by some fans as their “favorite Dodger” of all time, stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley has livened up the ballpark with her signature playing since 1988.

Though the last few years have seen her playtime steadily dwindle, public outcry has been strong enough to see her contract renew for the next baseball season.

And she couldn’t be happier. Continue reading →

Acupuncture for Musicians

Photo: marniejoyce / Foter / CC BY

by Stephanie Hayman

In the music world, injuries may occur frequently as musicians often push beyond their limits. Inadequate rest, unhealthy eating habits, improper posture and mental and emotional strain compound this problem. With a musician’s hectic lifestyle, sufficient time is often not allowed for the body to heal. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory (especially steroids) medications are often used to dull the aches and pains. It’s a quick and easy approach, but only a temporary fix.

By medicinally covering up pain, stiffness, swelling, or aches, you may be masking a deeper problem. These symptoms are signals from your body telling you that something is weakened and out of balance. These warning signals are telling you to stop, rest, and heal. Continue reading →