I considered several names for All Kinds Musick that were either already in use or didn’t quite fit. The inspiration came from two places. The first was a sign that I used to see hanging on the wall behind the Saturday Night Live band when G.E. Smith was their lead guitarist:
That was the SNL band’s motto, and it seemed like a good vibe for what I was trying to accomplish, but at first, I wasn’t sold on it as a name. It was at least available - I only found an Instagram user called “All Kinds Music” when I Googled the phrase. But I wanted something special.
There are a bunch of clubs out there on Facebook, Reddit, and various platforms using variations of “Music Appreciation Society” - but I also felt like I would have to go by a smoking jacket and a powdered wig to pull it off.
I really like “All Songs Considered.” That’s not a joke, I like their work. And I can’t steal their name. (Long live the Tiny Desk!)
Then it occurred to me to add one little letter.
When I took The History of Music in the United States at Towson U, our professor, David Cosper, introduced us to the concept of “musicking” as coined by Christopher Small. He coined the term to highlight music as a process (verb) and not an object (noun).
And that’s when it clicked for me - when I say “All Kinds Music” it sounds like I left out the “of” just for effect; but when I say “All Kinds Musick” I am playfully telling you both that this periodical is going to talk about all kinds of the noun, music, and that all kinds of people, always, everywhere… musick. Have musicked. Will musick!
That was when I gave up on “Gig Bag” or “Tad’s Tune Talk” or whatever else was on that list… it’s crumpled in the recycling bin, now. We have our name, because no matter when you look in history, no matter where you are on the planet, no who you are -
I’m just getting started, so there may be some adjustments down the road - but for now, my plan is to give you two posts a week. One may be on a broad music subject, or an interview with some expert in music or music-adjacent areas; the other will be a review - probably of something I have been enjoying recently.
I have enough stuff in my collection to fuel a few decades of weekly reviews, so if you want me to tell you about something in particular, here’s the list:
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I can’t wait to tell you about some of the music I’ve been listening to this year - so sign up to find out where we begin to musick!