Harmanny Music Education

09/03/2026

It’s World Beard Day, or so says Facebook. What musician had the best beard? You’ve got a beard like Johannes Brahms, or the guys in ZZ Top. Who would you go with?

09/02/2026

It’s My Birthday…What Does That Have to Do With Music?

Today is my birthday. It's not a big milestone or anything, it's just a day. But it's more than that....

Today is my birthday. It's not a big milestone or anything, it's just a day. But it's more than that. It's a day to be thankful and take stock in things, just as it is for every day. But today I've done a bit of thinking. What does my birthday have to do with

08/31/2026

Yesterday's song was Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Today is the song probably most associated with Stevie Ray, "Texas Flood". The song was originally written by Larry Davis and Joseph Scott in 1958. Stevie Ray was introduced to it, and he took to it. He used the title "Texas Flood" as the title of the debut album for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. It's listed as number 66 by Rolling Stone on the top 100 guitar songs of all time! If you've never heard it, go check it out!

08/30/2026

Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the most influential blues guitarists of the late 20th century. Sadly, he died in a helicopter crash in 1990, but when he hit his popularity in the 80's, it was big. Pride and Joy was one of his early hits, but definitely check out any of his music this week! Check back tomorrow for next song and Texas musician on our travels!

08/30/2026

These are lyrics from a very well known song by a Texas music legend. Who wrote the song and what is it?

08/26/2026

The hit song for George Strait doesn't quite fit him. He married his high school sweetheart. But the songwriters Sanger Shafer and Lyndia Shafer. She was his 4th wife. They later divorced as well. He came up with the idea of rhyming exes with Texas and shared it with Lyndia. They worked together on the song, George Strait recorded and released it in 1987 and it became a huge hit for him.

Take a listen to the song and what cities and landmarks are sung about it in the song! How many can you count?

08/25/2026

I just read the news that Dolly Parton passed away. As a child of the 80's she was everywhere. Her music was phenomenal, her attitude was positive and as I grew up, I learned more about her philanthropy as well as her love for and her commitment to her husband for 59 years until his passing in 2025. What a life, what a legacy, and what a loss for the musical world and the world as a whole.

08/25/2026

George Strait's signature song was inspired by a FedEx commercial promising to get a package from San Antonio to Amarillo by morning. Seriously! And it was written in 1973 by Terry Stafford. When it was released then, it made it to 31. When George Strait released it, it got to number 4, not number 1. Rolling Stone magazine called it #10 out of the top 200 songs in country history.

What do you think? Do you like it?

08/24/2026

Crazy, recorded and made popular by Patsy Cline, was actually written by Texan Willie Nelson. His original title was "Stupid". But, he wised up and changed the name. He originally wanted Billy Walker to record it, but Billy said that it was a "girls song". Patsy Cline's husband heard it and shared it with her. She didn't like it and didn't want to record it, but finally did. If you listen to Willie's version and Patsy's version, you'll notice that the phrasing is very different. Patsy initially tried to follow Willie's phrasing, but it didn't work for her. She did it her way and the rest is history! What do you think of the song?

08/23/2026

As we continue on our musical journey of Texas, our listening calendar brings us to some of the country legends of the state.

Today: On the Road Again by Willie Nelson
Tomorrow: Crazy by Patsy Cline (written by Willie Nelson)
Tuesday: Amarillo by Morning by George Strait
Wednesday: All My Exes Live in Texas by George Strait
Thursday: Luckenbach, Texas by Waylon Jennings
Friday: Good Hearted Woman by Waylon Jennings
Saturday: Pancho and Lefty by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard

Take a listen this week and check back for daily highlights of these songs along with students' work in lessons!