The Whirling Ways of Stars that Pass The Whirling Ways of Stars that Pass is from Johann Johannsson’s 2014 Golden Globe winning score for, The Theory of Everything. It’s a beautiful piece of music that turned out to be an (easy to play) guitar arrangement. […]

Unchained Melody Unchained Melody is nearly 70 years old. It was initially written (by Alex North and Hy Zaret) as a theme for a prison film entitled, Unchained (1955).  The song was popularized by The Righteous Brothers a decade later in 1965. My favorite is […]

Marion’s Theme The score for Raiders of the Lost Ark—and the entire Indiana Jones series—is a cornerstone of my childhood. The collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg produced music that is truly timeless. In particular, ‘Marion’s Theme’ stands out as one of Williams’ most […]

Laurie and Jo on the Hill I’m always on the hunt for good content. More than a few of my guitar students recommended the film, Little Women. I was really exited to see that Alexandre Desplat was the film’s composer. The piece, Laurie and Jo […]

Casadh an Tsúgáin Sean-nós “in the old way” singing is unaccompanied, traditional Irish vocal music — usually performed in the Irish language. Of these singers, Iarla Ó Lionáird is definitely my favorite. His performances are emotive, and his intonation is masterful. The song, Casadh an […]

My Heart Will Go On I recently heard a super minimal version of My Heart Will Go On played with two cellos. I believe the duo’s name was literally 2CELLOS. It was beautiful and I wanted to create a subtle and minimal guitar version too. […]

A Gift of Thistle James Horner’s music for the film Braveheart is one of the most iconic and beloved scores in cinematic history. Most consider ‘A Gift of Thistle’ to be the central theme of the film. This track is played during the scene where […]

Cloud Atlas Cloud Atlas is a complex, interconnected narrative that explores reincarnation and the interconnectedness of humanity across space and time. The score for the film, was composed by Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil, and Johnny Klimek; a film music trio, collectively known as the “Pale […]

The Godfather I finally watched The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. If you’re a young person and haven’t seen these films, you must prioritize them straight away. They’re total perfection in script, cinematography, and acting. You’ll be glued to the screen — only occasionally […]

The Music of the Night My Dad was a massive fan of the arts — specifically music and poetry. As an early adolescent (in the late 80’s) my family belonged to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. I was fortunate to see every Broadway show you can […]

I Get to Love You As I write this post, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Harrisburg PA on New Years Eve. I’ll be performing ‘I Get to Love You’ as a bride processional this evening for my wife’s cousin’s wedding. I guess that […]

Fantastic Beasts The Fantastic Beasts movies — as with the Harry Potter predecessors — seem to be set in winter more often then not. For that reason, I think of the films, and the music by James Newton Howard, as seasonal. To me, it only […]