by Melissa Stouffer | Jan 20, 2026 | All, Literature, Music History, Musical Cultures
I’m a huge lover jazz and jazz adjacent genres. That’s the best way I know to put it. Swing music was my THING in middle school and when the little big band revival happened in the 90s because of that Gap commercial I was in heaven. And if you are...
by Melissa Stouffer | Nov 11, 2025 | All, Dance/Movement, Literature, Music History, Musical Cultures
November is Native American Heritage Month. As I’ve said before, I’m very much a person who makes sure that I cover different cultural groups all year and not just in ‘the’ month that is set aside. But I still think it’s important to cover them in that month. So here...
by Melissa Stouffer | Sep 9, 2025 | All, Literature, Music History, Musical Cultures
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. As I’ve said before, I’m very much a person who makes sure that I cover different cultural groups all year and not just in ‘the’ month that is set aside. But I still think it’s important to cover them in that...
by Melissa Stouffer | Aug 26, 2025 | All, Dance/Movement, Guest Posts, Musical Cultures
I’m admittedly not great at thinking through adaptions like my friend Melissa Fuller Flores (@melodiesandmoves). Zach VanderGraaff and I have chatted about trying to be better at incorporating modern music with folk dances. During the summer, Zach and his wife...
by Melissa Stouffer | Jul 10, 2025 | All, Literature, Musical Cultures
This list is for the Creating Cultural Connections post for The Music Crew’s 2025 conference. You can find out more about this FREE conference here. Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson: Sister, Brother Family (Depression Era Texas) Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson...
by Melissa Stouffer | Apr 29, 2025 | AAPI, All, Literature, Music History, Musical Cultures
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you have been following me for a while, you know that I always been doing a book a day for AAPI Heritage Month for a few years. Here all of the books now here so you can reference them easily throughout the...
