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The Church of Classic Rock May 7th - National No Homework Day Saturday, May 6th, was National No Homework Day, a day to really look at the reason why homework exists in the first place! The Reverend Jeff Smith, who is also a teacher, looks at the day itself, the history of objections to homework, some reflections on why teachers give homework (and why, perhaps, they shouldn't), some alternative possibilities to homework, and a personal look at homework from an active teacher's perspective. Plus, check out the playlist at www.churchofclassicrock.org! Episode Playlist: May 7th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock April 30th, 2017 - International Jazz Day Sunday, April 30th, is International Jazz Day, where we celebrate that most American of art forms, and possibly the USA's most famous export! Join the Reverend Jeff Smith for an lesson in Jazz appreciation, as he explains the history of Jazz, some of its most famous singers and players, and how the 1960s gave birth to another unique genre of music: Jazz-Rock! Episode Playlist: April 30th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock April 23rd, 2017 - International Dance Day Saturday, April 29th, is is a day to celebrate something that not everyone can do, but something that almost everyone appreciates: Dance! International Dance Day started back in 1982, and the Reverend is dedicating this episode of the Church of Classic Rock to talking about the different dance crazes that swept up teens and young adults in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s! From the the bop to the stroll, the monkey to the frug, the bump to the funky chicken, the cabbage patch to the lambada, every decade has seen its share of amazing dances, and its share of embarassing dances. Regardless, they've been loved (and many still are) by millions of people around the globe. And, as the Reverend explains in his close, even if you can't dance, you can appreciate dancing for the amazing and beautiful art form it is, and should! Episode Playlist: April 23rd, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock April 16th, 2017 - International Marconi Day Saturday, April 22nd, is a day that's very special to us here at the Church of Classic Rock, as well as for SoR Radio, and radio enthusiasts and practitioners around the globe! It's the day we celebrate the father of radio, Guglielmo Marconi. We call it "International Marconi Day." The Reverend introduces you to the day, explores why radio is still a media force to be reckoned with in the 21st century, digs into a (brief) history of radio as a medium, talks about the role radio and music played in the counterculture movement of the 60s and early 70s, and shares some early, personal memories of radio and why he's still addicted to it, even after all these years! Episode Playlist: April 16th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock April 9th, 2017 - National Name Yourself Day Sunday, April 9th, 2017, is National Name Yourself Day, and it's the day to try on a new nom de plumme, a new identity, a new you! For one day a year, the old adage "You can't pick your own nickname" is suspended, so introduce yourself by the name your soul calls out is really you. The Reverend Jeff Smith takes a look at the holiday, how a particular name has fallen out of favor, the history of names and naming, people who should not be allowed to give names to children, and a little reminiscing from the Reverend himself about the various names and nicknames he's been given throughout his life. Episode Playlist: April 9th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock April 2nd, 2017 - National Find a Rainbow Day Monday, April 3rd, is National Find a Rainbow Day, so the Reverend Jeff Smith takes you through an exploration of the day, the science behind why rainbows occur, the many, many historical meanings and symbolism applied to rainbows across several different cultures, a look at the history of the rainbow in its most recent symbolic state - that of representing the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Queer movement (LGBTQ), including a brief memorial to the creator of the rainbow flag who passed away on Friday, March 31st, 2017, and finally a story of the meanings the rainbow has had for the Reverend personally, and how that changed from childhood to adulthoot. Episode Playlist: April 2nd, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock March 26th, 2017 - An Ode to New York City He spent the last week in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just a train-ride away from the most unique city in the world: New York City. It's known by many names, and there are over 8 million people living in the five buroughs that make up "Greater New York," but it is, simply put, amazing. The history, the culture, and lights, the pace... it truly is the City that Never Sleeps! The Reverend looks at the history of the city (in brief), what makes it special, Central Park, and more! Episode Playlist: March 26th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock March 19th, 2017 - World Storytelling Day Monday, March 20th is World Storytelling Day, so it's only fitting that the Reverend Jeff Smith tells you a few stories in this episode of the Church of Classic Rock podcast! He'll talk about the history and traditions of World Storytelling Day, how storytelling helps educate children and adults, the role storytelling has in society (and the history of the oldest story known to mankind), a little information about the "Future of Story-Telling Festival" in Octover in New York, and how storytelling has affected the Reverend himself, in a very profound and life-long way! Episode Playlist: March 19th, 2017 |
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The Church of Classic Rock March 12th, 2017 - National Freedom of Information Day Thursday, March 16th, is National Freedom of Information Day, and that's certainly worth celebrating! Join the Reverend Jeff Smith as he looks at the founding father of the Freedom of Information movement, how journalists are taking steps to make certain that those who desire information to remain free find avenues to legitimate journalists, the history of the Freedom of Information Act and all the modifications (for good or ill) that have been made to it since the 60s, and the Reverend's personal testimony to how, and through what medium, information has always been considered paramount to him! Episode Playlist: March 12th, 2017 |