james cassar

In defense of (more than just) the genre: An appeal for safe spaces

photo credit:  Elliot Ingham I have been an admin of the Defend Pop Punk Facebook group for over a year and, alongside a handful of other powerful genre subscribers across the country, I help keep this digital discussion forum more of a musical haven than a minefield. Since there are over 25,000 members in this Internet […]

Pass the time in your room alone: On music and mental health

In seventh grade, I was enrolled in a music composition class. Every Friday, students were allowed to bring in a CD and lyric sheets to share with the rest of the room to discuss and analyze a chosen song. Because my favorite band was Blink-182 shortly before it was my turn, I opted to showcase […]

Disability In Music: How Warped Tour can be accessible for everyone

Art by Alexis Howick In the summer of 2012, I attended my first (and to date, only) Vans Warped Tour. Despite being a fan of much of the festival’s roster for years, it took me until age 17 to feel comfortable seeing most of them live over the course of one muggy July day. Having cerebral […]

An introduction to disability in music—and how we should move forward

Art by Alexis Howick All superheroes have an origin story. For those realizing their musical superpowers, the origin story is usually heard, not seen. Musical superheroes can have an origin story be a saving grace, as was the case for Richmond, Virginia teen, Becca Denius, who promotes local shows and owns the burgeoning booking agency Terminally […]