July Composer Birthdays

This July seems to have a dearth of what would be considered the more popular of classical composers. We're going to switch gears a little bit and discuss a great musician of another genre, Beck Hansen (better known by just his first name).

Born July 8, 1970, Beck has permeated genres such as pop, rock, hip hop and country just to name a few. He is a fantastic musician and is known for his skills at many different instruments, often playing the majority of them on his recordings. His most recent album, Morning Phase, won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

At a young age Beck lived a somewhat tumultuous life with different members of his family, starting in Los Angeles and eventually moving to New York City. Through his experiences he picked up on a wide range of musical styles, which in turn affected his compositions. It was in New York City's Lower East Side that Beck became associated with the anti-folk movement; this would later help him find a niche for his songs. His first hit "Loser" was featured on his first album Mello Gold (1994), an eclectic blues album.

In 1996, Beck released perhaps his most famous album, Odelay, which features some of his most famous tracks. It was well received from both critics and fans alike. I would post a track or two, but it wouldn't do the album justice. Not to mention there are a lot of popular tunes on here!

Beck has ten full-length albums, almost all of which have received critical acclaim. A recent venture of his was the album Songreader, a compilation of original compositions written down in sheet music form. Instead of recording the songs, Beck released the album in a book for people to play themselves; much in a way that harkens back to a time before recorded music. I personally own the book and can say it's really fun to play! Song Reader on Amazon.com

As an artist, Beck pushes the boundaries of both lyrics and genre, often blending many different styles to create a unique sound. If you don't know him, definitely check out an album or two - no two sound quite a like!