The Heat Beat
Read about the music of Phoenix Radio and beyond
Censorship
3 storiesCensorship
beyond protest music: ways musicians speak out
2025-12-30 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past several days, several musicians, including Jazz group The Cookers and folk singer-songwriter Kristy Lee have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center in protest...
Censorship
was it censorship? three myths about free speech
2025-09-23 · Jess Santacroce
The cancellation of the late-night tv show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" brought censorship to the news and to social media and all its memes. On September 17, 2025, Kimmel spoke out...
Censorship
Three ways to speak out against music censorship
2025-04-29 · Jess Santacroce
Near the end of April, the Kennedy Center quietly announced that all LGBTQ Pride events would be canceled or moved to other venues. Officially, the decision is not related to...
For Musicians
15 storiesFor Musicians
Can AI Plan Your Music Career?
2026-04-21 · Jess Santacroce
We prompted AI with four real situations musicians face. Here's what it got right, and where it fell flat.
Issues In Music
musicians beware: scammers are targeting artists and fans in 2026
2026-04-07 · Jess Santacroce
Scams may be older than the computer itself, but the same old scams always seem to be able to grow and change with the times. In 2026, three scams have been found to be especially...
For Musicians
can musicians still rely on that other kind of gig in 2026?
2026-03-24 · Jess Santacroce
Traditionally, when musicians talk about "gigs," they're talking about opportunities to play or sing. Today, they might be talking about their music, or they might be talking...
Issues In Music
investigating the latest claims about AI in music
2026-03-17 · Jess Santacroce
Despite what every article about artificial intelligence (AI) continues to claim, experience and experiments have continuously shown that AI cannot replace musicians. It cannot...
For Musicians
Should musicians work as adjunct instructors?
2026-01-27 · Jess Santacroce
For musicians and others in the arts, working in your field does not always mean producing your art and having people buy it. That is certainly a part of most local musicians'...
Holidays
replace your resolutions with music experiments in 2026
2026-01-06 · Jess Santacroce
New year's resolutions have been as much a part of marking the new year as the ball drop and party hats, but many people find them difficult or impossible to keep up past January....
For Musicians
A penny for your music: A fundraising idea for local musicians
2025-12-02 · Jess Santacroce
Independent musicians, and other independent artists, often need to raise funds for their career. Without the backing of a major label, everything from recording session fees to...
For Musicians
Beware the latest scams targeting musicians
2025-10-21 · Jess Santacroce
Musicians and other artists are growing increasingly independent. While it's highly unlikely that you're going to land a contract with a major record label without securing an...
Censorship
was it censorship? three myths about free speech
2025-09-23 · Jess Santacroce
The cancellation of the late-night tv show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" brought censorship to the news and to social media and all its memes. On September 17, 2025, Kimmel spoke out...
For Musicians
do you still need to wait tables? Day jobs for musicians today
2025-09-16 · Jess Santacroce
Musicians building their career have often needed day jobs and side hustles to pay the bills and finance their art projects. Ideally, that job would be something that put them in...
For Musicians
Can AI really help your music career?: 5 myths and realities
2025-08-26 · Jess Santacroce
AI writing is being promoted as a great boost for business, including promoting your music career. But is it really a help, or might it be a hindrance? Before you use AI to write...
Music & Health
beyond lyrics and copyright: The real dangers of ai for musicians
2025-08-12 · Jess Santacroce
The impact of AI on music almost always focuses on the music itself, as people debate and worry over whether a bot can do what a human musician can do. While some insist that it...
Music History
music micro genres explained
2025-07-01 · Jess Santacroce
Social media and other online spaces have become a sea of aesthetics over the last several years. Visit any site where people can easily log in and communicate, and you will see...
For Musicians
Musicians and the infinite workday
2025-06-24 · Jess Santacroce
Making a living entirely from practicing your art is rare for most artists, including musicians. Firm statistics on the number of musicians with outside jobs are not available, as...
For Musicians
Musicians and tipping
2025-06-10 · Jess Santacroce
In recent years, tipping has grown into a controversial issue. Some argue that too many people expect tips today, and that tip amounts have grown much too high, while others...
Holidays
5 storiesHolidays
replace your resolutions with music experiments in 2026
2026-01-06 · Jess Santacroce
New year's resolutions have been as much a part of marking the new year as the ball drop and party hats, but many people find them difficult or impossible to keep up past January....
Holidays
Merry christmas from the heat beat
2025-12-23
The Heat Beat and everyone on the Heat Squad here at Phoenix Radio would like to wish all of our listeners and readers a blessed Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas. Be sure to...
Holidays
replacing overconsumption trends with the gift of music
2025-12-16 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past week, social sharing sites have been flooded with content about how tired everyone is of excessive displays of consumption and wealth, particularly around the...
Holidays
a playlist for when you need a break from christmas music
2025-12-09 · Jess Santacroce
Christmas songs. Love them, dread them, or fall somewhere in between, you will probably need to play something else at some point during these next couple of weeks. When you need...
Music & Health
five fun facts about music and giving thanks
2025-11-25 · Jess Santacroce
It happens every Thanksgiving. Someone brings up politics when they know the person across from them holds opposite views and will argue. Somebody else tells a wildly...
Issues In Music
16 storiesIssues In Music
musicians beware: scammers are targeting artists and fans in 2026
2026-04-07 · Jess Santacroce
Scams may be older than the computer itself, but the same old scams always seem to be able to grow and change with the times. In 2026, three scams have been found to be especially...
Issues In Music
investigating the latest claims about AI in music
2026-03-17 · Jess Santacroce
Despite what every article about artificial intelligence (AI) continues to claim, experience and experiments have continuously shown that AI cannot replace musicians. It cannot...
Issues In Music
can you trust those music articles on your facebook feed?
2026-03-03 · Jess Santacroce
Each morning, you check your facebook page to see what's new in the lives of your friends, family members, and coworkers. This morning there isn't much. People are posting reports...
Issues In Music
can ai pick the perfect playlist?
2026-02-17 · Jess Santacroce
Attempting to replace artists, educators, and other content creators with AI nearly often results in disasters known as "AI slop." We get portraits of people with six huge fingers...
Issues In Music
can someone who can't write songs use ai to write one?
2026-01-20 · Jess Santacroce
As generative artificial intelligence, or "AI" continues to weave its way into every part of life, debates continue as to how deep its impact could ever be on music. While many...
Censorship
beyond protest music: ways musicians speak out
2025-12-30 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past several days, several musicians, including Jazz group The Cookers and folk singer-songwriter Kristy Lee have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center in protest...
Music History
Is that music real? Are you sure?
2025-11-18 · Jess Santacroce
On November 19, 1990. Milli Vanilli had their Grammy revoked, as it had been revealed that the people in the duo were not singing, but only lip-syncing to vocals provided by...
Music History
Five things you didn't know...or at least forgot....about music and politics
2025-11-11 · Jess Santacroce
It's no secret music can be political, or that our favorite musical artists often have and express strong opinions about politics, both through their art and in interviews and...
Issues In Music
can AI Teach us about music?
2025-11-04 · Jess Santacroce
Any music person will tell you that no form of AI will ever replace a human being writing music in response to something they experienced or learned. AI is also a poor substitute...
For Musicians
Beware the latest scams targeting musicians
2025-10-21 · Jess Santacroce
Musicians and other artists are growing increasingly independent. While it's highly unlikely that you're going to land a contract with a major record label without securing an...
Music History
The truth behind music "twist of fate" stories
2025-10-14 · Jess Santacroce
Tales involving twists of fate can serve as both an inspiration and a warning. We hear of someone being upset with their spouse for not waking them up early enough on the day of a...
Censorship
was it censorship? three myths about free speech
2025-09-23 · Jess Santacroce
The cancellation of the late-night tv show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" brought censorship to the news and to social media and all its memes. On September 17, 2025, Kimmel spoke out...
For Musicians
do you still need to wait tables? Day jobs for musicians today
2025-09-16 · Jess Santacroce
Musicians building their career have often needed day jobs and side hustles to pay the bills and finance their art projects. Ideally, that job would be something that put them in...
For Musicians
Can AI really help your music career?: 5 myths and realities
2025-08-26 · Jess Santacroce
AI writing is being promoted as a great boost for business, including promoting your music career. But is it really a help, or might it be a hindrance? Before you use AI to write...
Issues In Music
Coping with rising concert ticket prices
2025-08-05 · Jess Santacroce
Summer always means live music for most who love music. Sadly, summer 2025 is a time of skyrocketing prices for everything, including concert tickets. Once you add in the price of...
Issues In Music
are famous musicians helping texas flood victims?
2025-07-15 · Jess Santacroce
Anyone who uses social media has likely seen articles reporting many of our favorite musicians' efforts to help with the aftermath of the horrifying Texas floods that took so many...
Local Events
2 stories
Local Events
goodbye levitt amp utica
2025-09-02
A familiar sight around the park during Levitt Amp Utica concerts..the cheerful bucket seats wait for audience members one last time.
Issues In Music
Coping with rising concert ticket prices
2025-08-05 · Jess Santacroce
Summer always means live music for most who love music. Sadly, summer 2025 is a time of skyrocketing prices for everything, including concert tickets. Once you add in the price of...
Music & Fashion
1 storyMusic & Health
5 storiesMusic & Health
five fun facts about music and giving thanks
2025-11-25 · Jess Santacroce
It happens every Thanksgiving. Someone brings up politics when they know the person across from them holds opposite views and will argue. Somebody else tells a wildly...
Music & Health
not feeling it: Making a playlist for sick days
2025-10-28 · Jess Santacroce
Fall is a beautiful season. Between the colors, the crisp air, and the coming holidays, it is a favorite time of the year for many. But with all the coziness comes a drop in...
Music & Health
beyond lyrics and copyright: The real dangers of ai for musicians
2025-08-12 · Jess Santacroce
The impact of AI on music almost always focuses on the music itself, as people debate and worry over whether a bot can do what a human musician can do. While some insist that it...
Music & Health
Music, memory, and memories
2025-07-22 · Jess Santacroce
Music and memory have long been known to be connected, but recent studies reveal more intricate links between music's ability to help us remember, manage our memories, and even...
Music & Health
maintaining mental health with music
2025-05-13 · Jess Santacroce
Each May in America, declarations of "mental health month" are made across the country, encouraging people to focus on the mental well-being of themselves and those in their...
Music History
11 storiesMusic History
A deeper look into a piece of music trivia: Duke Ellington and the Masons
2026-03-10 · Jess Santacroce
Everyone knows who Duke Ellington was as a musician, but when you search for information about him, multiple articles about his birthplace or his fashion sense are always included...
Music & Fashion
The fashion music gives us
2026-02-10 · Jess Santacroce
If someone were to ask a random sample of people why they dress the way that they do, most people would not answer that they dress the way they do because of the influence of...
Music History
Is that music real? Are you sure?
2025-11-18 · Jess Santacroce
On November 19, 1990. Milli Vanilli had their Grammy revoked, as it had been revealed that the people in the duo were not singing, but only lip-syncing to vocals provided by...
Music History
Five things you didn't know...or at least forgot....about music and politics
2025-11-11 · Jess Santacroce
It's no secret music can be political, or that our favorite musical artists often have and express strong opinions about politics, both through their art and in interviews and...
Music History
The truth behind music "twist of fate" stories
2025-10-14 · Jess Santacroce
Tales involving twists of fate can serve as both an inspiration and a warning. We hear of someone being upset with their spouse for not waking them up early enough on the day of a...
Music History
things we know that just aren't true...music edition
2025-10-07 · Jess Santacroce
The Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves." It's impossible for adult English speakers to learn another language. In order to stay hydrated, you have to drink...
Music History
Ozzy's impact on music beyond metal
2025-07-29 · Jess Santacroce
On July 22, 2025, music fans mourned the loss of Ozzy Osbourne. One of the most important figures in the heavy metal genre, Osbourne passed away at just 76 years of age, much...
Music History
music micro genres explained
2025-07-01 · Jess Santacroce
Social media and other online spaces have become a sea of aesthetics over the last several years. Visit any site where people can easily log in and communicate, and you will see...
Music History
Greek Blues people and Jazz Punks: How music genres are interconnected
2025-06-17 · Jess Santacroce
Whatever your favorite type of music, it depends on other genres of music to exist. Anytime you listen to music, you are listening to influence, blending, and borrowing from at...
Music History
The words music gives us
2025-05-27 · Jess Santacroce
Music fans know that music itself is vital to our lives. We use it for everything from marking our happiest moments in life to helping us through the worst, expressing our...
Music & Social Justice
Where are all our protest songs?
2025-04-22 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past several weeks, protests against the policies of the Trump administration have cropped up across the country. While some took to social media to speak out against the...
Music & Pets
1 storyMusic Resource Reviews
1 storyMusic & Social Justice
7 storiesCensorship
beyond protest music: ways musicians speak out
2025-12-30 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past several days, several musicians, including Jazz group The Cookers and folk singer-songwriter Kristy Lee have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center in protest...
Music & Social Justice
Music for the big bill
2025-07-08 · Jess Santacroce
On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump proudly signed a bill he refers to as his "big beautiful bill" into law. A few small portions of the bill, such as ending the taxing of tips and an...
Music & Social Justice
Summer concert safety 2025
2025-06-03 · Jess Santacroce
As June arrives, it brings with it large outdoor concerts and other music filled events. It is also a month designated to celebrate numerous communities, cultures, and historical...
Music & Health
maintaining mental health with music
2025-05-13 · Jess Santacroce
Each May in America, declarations of "mental health month" are made across the country, encouraging people to focus on the mental well-being of themselves and those in their...
Music & Social Justice
Can AI replace musicians?
2025-05-06 · Jess Santacroce
Regardless of your career path, the fear of being replaced by artificial intelligence or AI, is common to most fields. Some even worry that the arts will be taken over by AI....
Censorship
Three ways to speak out against music censorship
2025-04-29 · Jess Santacroce
Near the end of April, the Kennedy Center quietly announced that all LGBTQ Pride events would be canceled or moved to other venues. Officially, the decision is not related to...
Music & Social Justice
Where are all our protest songs?
2025-04-22 · Jess Santacroce
Over the past several weeks, protests against the policies of the Trump administration have cropped up across the country. While some took to social media to speak out against the...
Music Styles & Genres
4 storiesMusic Styles & Genres
What are hybrid genres in music?
2026-01-13 · Jess Santacroce
Predictions for music in 2026 include an increase in hybrid music genres. As with the word "hybrid" in any other context, hybrid music genres are combined music genres. A hybrid...
Music History
Five things you didn't know...or at least forgot....about music and politics
2025-11-11 · Jess Santacroce
It's no secret music can be political, or that our favorite musical artists often have and express strong opinions about politics, both through their art and in interviews and...
Music History
things we know that just aren't true...music edition
2025-10-07 · Jess Santacroce
The Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves." It's impossible for adult English speakers to learn another language. In order to stay hydrated, you have to drink...
Music History
music micro genres explained
2025-07-01 · Jess Santacroce
Social media and other online spaces have become a sea of aesthetics over the last several years. Visit any site where people can easily log in and communicate, and you will see...
Music Trivia & Fun Facts
2 storiesMusic Trivia & Fun Facts
Five pieces of music trivia for april
2026-03-31 · Jess Santacroce
April is a month full of notable dates in music history. It is the birth month of some of the most influential people in a variety of genres, including Muddy Waters, Iggy Pop, and...
Music History
A deeper look into a piece of music trivia: Duke Ellington and the Masons
2026-03-10 · Jess Santacroce
Everyone knows who Duke Ellington was as a musician, but when you search for information about him, multiple articles about his birthplace or his fashion sense are always included...
Playlists
8 storiesPlaylists
Beyond breakups: Songs for those other goodbyes in life
2026-04-14 · Jess Santacroce
Some of the most beautiful songs center around the theme of saying "goodbye." Most of these songs are love songs, with lyrics about having to say goodbye to a romantic partner due...
Issues In Music
can ai pick the perfect playlist?
2026-02-17 · Jess Santacroce
Attempting to replace artists, educators, and other content creators with AI nearly often results in disasters known as "AI slop." We get portraits of people with six huge fingers...
Playlists
five songs for your tired of winter playlist
2026-02-03 · Jess Santacroce
Between January's snow storm and the stretch of startlingly cold temperatures, most of us are more than ready for warmer seasons, though that likely looks a little different for...
Holidays
a playlist for when you need a break from christmas music
2025-12-09 · Jess Santacroce
Christmas songs. Love them, dread them, or fall somewhere in between, you will probably need to play something else at some point during these next couple of weeks. When you need...
Music & Health
not feeling it: Making a playlist for sick days
2025-10-28 · Jess Santacroce
Fall is a beautiful season. Between the colors, the crisp air, and the coming holidays, it is a favorite time of the year for many. But with all the coziness comes a drop in...
Playlists
there's a song for that
2025-09-30 · Jess Santacroce
There are countless songs out there about finding someone attractive, falling in love, romantic relationships ending, and looking for romantic relationships of various types....
Playlists
building a back to school playlist
2025-09-09 · Jess Santacroce
Classes typically start at the end of August, but most students, teachers, parents, and others whose work revolves around a school feel firmly "back to school" around the...
Playlists
Songs for every end of summer mood
2025-08-19 · Jess Santacroce
The approaching end of summer and start of fall means different things for different people. Some are starting or returning to school. Many already missing summer fun. Still...
Top Five Lists
3 storiesPlaylists
five songs for your tired of winter playlist
2026-02-03 · Jess Santacroce
Between January's snow storm and the stretch of startlingly cold temperatures, most of us are more than ready for warmer seasons, though that likely looks a little different for...
Music & Social Justice
Music for the big bill
2025-07-08 · Jess Santacroce
On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump proudly signed a bill he refers to as his "big beautiful bill" into law. A few small portions of the bill, such as ending the taxing of tips and an...
Music & Pets
Top Five: Songs about dogs
2025-05-20 · Jess Santacroce
At midnight on May 19/May 20, 2015, the Heat Beat mascot, a four and a half pound Chorkie, Miss Callie Santacroce, was born. Today Callie spends her days providing love, comfort,...
Tributes And Honors
3 storiesLocal Events
goodbye levitt amp utica
2025-09-02
A familiar sight around the park during Levitt Amp Utica concerts..the cheerful bucket seats wait for audience members one last time.
Music History
Ozzy's impact on music beyond metal
2025-07-29 · Jess Santacroce
On July 22, 2025, music fans mourned the loss of Ozzy Osbourne. One of the most important figures in the heavy metal genre, Osbourne passed away at just 76 years of age, much...
Music & Pets
Top Five: Songs about dogs
2025-05-20 · Jess Santacroce
At midnight on May 19/May 20, 2015, the Heat Beat mascot, a four and a half pound Chorkie, Miss Callie Santacroce, was born. Today Callie spends her days providing love, comfort,...
