Photographer and writer, Craig Ferry, brings you the music that makes him who he is. Check out his monthly Spotify lists and see what makes him tick, as well as getting inspiration to make your own music biography.
Unlike other singers I have come to know, I probably would not have encountered this young talent if I hadn’t heard her mother, Wendy Koulouris, sing in the band the Sweet Judys. After covering that band I started following the group and its singers as I often do with most bands I cover. A couple…
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It’s hard for me to pick just one thing to focus on when I am checking out a new band. Some bands I am captivated by the lead guitarist and how they are able to capture the crowd with their amazing guitar riffs. Anyone that saw Van Halen in concert would undoubtedly have to say…
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As you read last week, the one-year anniversary of the Music Makes Me Facebook group just recently passed. It’s been a great experience running that group and if you want to read more, check out last week’s article. I’ve featured a vast array of genres from all over the world. In the last few months,…
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As I’m sure you know, I have a Facebook group named “Music Makes Me” that I post a daily music video along with my weekly First Angel Media article. This Facebook group is coming up this week on its one-year anniversary. I can hardly believe it myself. One of the things that I have attempted…
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Last month’s playlist, Romeo and Juliet, was for the month of February and those that celebrated Valentines Day. Ironically I created this month’s playlist over a year ago and titled it Life. The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy in my life and as some of you may have noticed I’ve not…
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Most week’s my Music Makes Me article is pretty light. For example some of the recent week’s articles have been about music genres that are a little different. This week I discovered a band named Convictions who are a Christian Metal band. Obviously most bands’ lyrics are based on something in their real lives. Convictions…
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Last February’s monthly playlist was titled “Love Songs?”. It had romantic love songs like “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett and “Love Hurts” by Nazareth. Obviously it was meant for those of us that were not celebrating the Valentine’s holiday for one reason or another. This year the playlist title…
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I woke up Friday morning to the sad news that one of the artists of my youth had died the night before. Michael Lee Aday, better known by most as Meat Loaf, died at the age of 74 surrounded by his wife and daughters. My first exposure, like many of us, was to his Bat…
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Last week in Music Makes Me I had talked about the surprise of the sheer number of different genres that music was classified into. After giving it some more thought this week, I thought that it would be interesting over the next few weeks to explore some of the genres that I didn’t know existed…
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Last week’s article contained a playlist to help you get inspired for the new year. This week I am exploring some genre oddities that I discovered when exploring one of the groups featured this week. A couple days ago in my Music Makes Me group I featured a band with a genre that I had…
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This week I wanted to take a moment to wish all of you, my readers, a Merry Christmas. As I am sure you saw this month’s playlist article had a Christmas playlist. As I do for many of my articles, I talk about memories that are connected to music. Today I decided to do the…
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Last week I gave you some music to listen to when you wanted something to play when decorating your tree or baking Christmas cookies. December is the time where some of us are catching our breaths at the end of a busy year. Some of us reflect on what the year that just passed brought…
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Last week I gave thanks to someone who unknowingly was one of the people in my life who started me down my musical path. One of this week’s songs, Steve Curtis Chapman’s “Cinderella”, made me think about how we all connect to the different songs we hear. And it also made me remember that this…
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Last week in ‘Music Makes Me’ I talked about some of the concerts I had attended in my life and answering the question of my favorite one. If you have never thought about that and would be interested in my choice, check out my article. This week I am giving thanks to one of the…
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My last Music Makes Me article was about my dilemma in picking my top favorite songs. If you are curious how I was able to narrow it down after much deliberation check it out. This week’s article was spawned by a night out with friends. The discussion turned to music and all the concerts we…
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This week’s Music Makes Me topic came full circle from a similar topic for my very first article from this series last year at this time. My oldest daughter was asking me about my favorite songs. How do I answer a question like that? It’s like someone asking a parent who is his or her…
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Last week’s “Music Makes Me” article was about discovering new artists in the music scene. This week’s Music Makes Me article fits perfectly into the theme of that article. I am going off the mainstream and down a road into the distant past, at least in some ways. Those of you that are music connoisseurs…
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Most weeks I have an artist or two I haven’t heard before that make my Music Makes Me playlist. But this week 6 of the 7 artists I have featured are all ones that I had not listened to before this week. I enjoy listening to old favorites but there is nothing like discovering something…
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If you have been following my articles over the past year you have seen me talk about a variety of topics. I have let you into my life by sharing stories about how music has played a big part of my life. Recently I wrote about how the music world came together after the tragedies of…
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Last month’s theme title, ‘Knock Offs’, was all about covers of songs that were better or just as good as the originals. The subjects of this month’s ‘Pretty in Pink’ Spotify Playlist are all female musicians who made their mark in music history. In case you don’t know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I…
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Last week’s Music Makes Me was an article remembering the attacks of 9/11 and the music industry’s response to the events of that day. An event that happened to me in my personal life just today promoted my topic for this week’s topic, “What If?” Last Thursday started out like most other days. I woke…
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Twenty years ago today I was in my office in downtown Pittsburgh at work. I remember someone coming over to my desk to tell me what was happening. I recall then thinking “This can’t be real.” but sadly it was all to true. I called home and told my wife of the time to pick…
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In last week’s Music Makes Me I explained all the reasons I felt people needed to support their local open mics. If you didn’t read that article I strongly encourage you to check it out. I was expecting to go back to my normal format this week, but when reading an article, I decided instead…
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Last month’s theme title, ‘Reese’s Cups’, is the same name as my favorite candy bar. Of course the article wasn’t about chocolate, but you’ll have to go back and read it to see what the article was about. One of my go to foods in a pinch has always been Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. It…
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Last week was an article that I talked about the sad loss of one of rock and roll’s legends Charlie Watts. Most people who are fans of rock and roll know the name Charlie Watts. But at one time in his life, that was not the case. His family and friends would only have known…
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Last week I introduced you to a band that created some controversy with their release of a cover of the Cranberry’s song “Zombie”. This week is not about controversy but is a tribute to one of rock and roll’s legends, drummer Charlie Watts. Watts was the drummer for the Rolling Stones since 1963. He played on…
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Last week I introduced you to a band that is new to the music scene that has some people loving them and others hating them. This week I am going to share more about the band Bad Wolves. If you follow my Music Makes Me Facebook group you may remember that I mentioned checking out…
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Last week I introduced you to a band that did something to make some high schoolers have a memory of a lifetime. This week I am going to introduce you to the band Spirit Machines. Being new to the music scene, in an attempt to get noticed they created a song on their 2020…
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Just like last month’s article, ‘Born In The USA’, talked about American bands, the Reese’s Cup is another American accomplishment. It was first manufactured in the basement of Reese’s home in 1928. I wonder if the first time they combined the two main ingredients the words “You got peanut butter in my chocolate” were uttered…
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Last week I introduced you to a band that was there at the birth of MTV and music videos. This week, even though I will be discussing Godsmack, the article is more about the place music has in our lives. Music plays an important part of our lives. No matter what you do, music plays…
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Last week I introduced you to an up and coming young Reggae singer from Jamaica. This week we are taking a trip back to a place in time where we weren’t men, but we were Devo. Those of you who were appreciating music in the early 70’s will probably remember that phrase. The “Sextet Devo”,…
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Welcome to another week of Music Makes Me. I hope that you are enjoying your summer and discovering some great new music. Last week I talked about the inspiration behind Sarah McLachlan’s song Angel. As you may recall we were north of the US. This week we are travelling south of the border to Jamaica…
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Welcome to another weekly addition of Music Makes Me. Last week I talked about Russian band Little Big. This week I’m moving closer to home, to the north into Canada. I have been a Sarah McLachlan fan since I first heard her sing, but hadn’t played any of her music in awhile. That is until…
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Welcome to another weekly addition of Music Makes Me. Last week I introduced you to a band right out of SW PA. Today’s band is all the way across the ocean from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Little Big is definitely something I would not have looked for intentionally, but I stumbled upon them when looking for…
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Back in March, in my ‘Import Charge’ article, I looked at all the great artists that did not come from the USA. As I mentioned in that article, I was starting to get worried that maybe there were no great musical acts that came from within our 50 states. Obviously I say that tongue in…
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Welcome to another weekly addition of Music Makes Me. Last week I talked about a musician that we almost didn’t hear about. I thought this week I would talk about one of my favorite local bands, Cello Fury. I first heard this band at the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall. I wasn’t going to listen…
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Welcome to another weekly addition of Music Makes Me. Last week I talked about a country music legend. This week I am talking about someone that those of us who live in the US almost didn’t discover. The first time I heard the song “Wasn’t Expecting That” on the radio it brought tears to my…
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Welcome to another weekly addition of Music Makes Me. Last week was about a local SW PA favorite. This week’s edition is dedicated to my father since it is both his birthday this week as well as father’s day. I will have a special father’s day selection this Sunday’s playlists, but today I’m going to…
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Welcome to this week’s weekly Spotify playlist, “Music Makes Me”. Last week I talked about a band out of Maryland who one member started out right here in southwest PA. This week is even closer to my home. I am spotlighting the band Shiva Skydriver. Even though they play with others periodically, the band’s primary…
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Hopefully you got an opportunity this past month to check out some local bands. If you are in the SW PA area, maybe you were able to hear someone in my ‘Homegrown’ article last month. If you are younger, you may not understand what I’m referencing with the title of this month’s Spotify playlist ‘B…
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Welcome to week 2 of the Music Makes Me series. I have been really excited to search for new music for you for the weekly Spotify playlist. So much so that I have also started a YouTube playlist that will contain different videos from the same artists that I feature in my Facebook group each…
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Starting in mid March, I created a Facebook group, Music Makes Me, where I share a music video daily. Similarly to my monthly series of the same name, I try to explore music from different genres, locations and points in time. But with the Facebook group, you don’t have to wait a month to hear…
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I talked last month about expanding your musical experience and perhaps shattering some genre stereotypes with my ‘Judas Kiss’ article. May has now arrived and with it hopefully some warmer weather and if we’re lucky some outdoor shows and music festivals. In case you only attend national acts at shows I want to just expose…
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March was the month of thinking that there may not be any good music coming out of the USA with my ‘Import Charge’ playlist. Don’t worry though, in July I will be addressing that very question. But for this month I will be smashing a perceived stereotype of a specific genre of music with my…
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February was the month of broken romance with my ‘Love Songs?’ playlist. But this month we are sneaking across the American border with my Spotify playlist ‘Import Charge’. I know I never really paid attention to the country of origin for most bands. Sure most people, even if it was before your time, remember hearing…
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January was the month of ‘New Beginnings‘ and February is the month of romance. This makes perfect sense since it is the month that has Valentines Day. People are buying flowers, eating dark chocolates out of gaudy heart shaped boxes or creating a sappy Spotify playlist of romantic music. Others may pick this month to…
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Last month I wrote an article about creating the playlist, ‘Story of Craig’, and the impact that it had on me. Selecting the songs from my past and reliving the memories associated with them was an emotional rollercoaster. Little did I realize how this article would touch other people as well. I received emails, texts…
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Music That Makes Me I received an advent calendar this year that is all about doing things for other people. Well a couple days back, the thing to do that day was to make a playlist for someone. I hadn’t given it a lot of thought until my oldest mentioned that she’d like to be…
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