Music Institute of Chicago

The Music Institute of Chicago has been bringing music to the North Shore for 82 years.   The month of March is Celebrating Music in our Schools Month. The Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) will be hosting several events on Saturday, March 17th, to help highlight the importance of music education for children of all […]

2011 Holiday Go Guide

Is your house home base for the family over the holidays? We’ve got the goods on where to go—for everyone in your family:   Arts & Music For kids of all ages: Try Dr. Suess & The Art of Invention at the Museum of Science and Industry. 40-somethings will enjoy the trip back in time […]

Better or Bust? Noise-Cancelling Headphones

These headphones are well constructed, comfortable, sound great and are a solid value at their price-point. Audio-Technica’s ATH-ANC23 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones and ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling On-Ear Headphones succeed in their claim of cancelling 90% of background noise in areas with air conditioning and crowd chatter. The earbuds come with 3 sets of […]

Former Fall Out Boy Frontman Patrick Stump Hits His Stride Going Solo

Patrick Stump, who will perform at Lollapalooza on Aug. 6, never dreamt of pop stardom, but passion and talent landed him there nonetheless. As his band, Fall Out Boy, rose out of the Chicago hardcore and punk scenes to success on a national scale, the spotlight landed square on Stump’s soulful voice. The Grammy-nominated group […]

Music For The Whole Family

Don’t miss this summer’s best concerts. We have the scoop on the bands you won’t want to miss. Playlist AMAZING YOU (download entire playlist at valslist.com) 1.  Every Day Is Yours To Win by R.E.M. 2. Gratisfaction by The Strokes 3. The Other Side by Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 4. Old Old Fashioned […]

On the Red Carpet with “Glee” Star Matthew Morrison

Matthew Morrison, who stars on the hit Fox TV show “Glee” as teacher Will Shuester, spoke with Make It Better before his Goodman Theatre gala performance. “The last three years of my life have been very gleeful,” he said, introducing his performance, “but I’ve missed performing in theaters like this one.” That’s because the Emmy […]

Lisa Loeb: Singer-Songwriter, Philanthropist and New Mom

You might remember Lisa Loeb, who will perform locally on June 3 and 4, from her meteoric ‘90s hit, “Stay.” (“You say, I only hear what I want to … ”) But you might not know that the prolific singer-songwriter and Grammy nominee is passionate about making music for children, has her own foundation to […]

Make your Celebration Sing with The Right Music

Used to be, if you wanted to book a band or DJ for a party, you’d have to attend a live gig. Today, finding the right music for an event is literally a few clicks away, thanks to digital technology. It’s even easier to find the perfect soundtrack for your event if you live here […]

A Music Note

If I had a dollar for every adult who said, “I just ask my kids to download music for me”—I would be a rich woman. It’s the trend (or the curse) of the busy adult—have the kids do it for you. But do you really like the music they choose? Most of you say not […]