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A heated Facebook debate on A.I. in music led to an unexpected insight into how technology may be reshaping not just songwriting—but music education itself. When The Local Riff recently posted a simple question to Facebook—Is A.I. good or bad for the music industry and artists?—the response was anything but simple. The comments poured in. Fast.Some embraced A.I. as a creative tool. Others rejected it outright. There were purists who argued that any assistance from A.I. disqua

This week, our local spotlight turns to a seismic shake-up in the world of live events. After years of frustration from fans, small venues, and independent promoters, a federal jury in Manhattan just handed down a major verdict against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Found guilty of monopolistic practices, these giants were charged with overcharging customers by $1.72 per ticket at major concert venues — a finding that validated what millions of fans have felt for years. The ca

As the Artemis capsule splashed down into the ocean, the image felt instantly familiar — a lone spacecraft floating in the water, recovery teams closing in, helicopters overhead. For a moment, it could have been 1969 again. But this wasn't a nostalgic callback. NASA chose an Apollo-style splashdown deliberately, because even in a modern space age, it remains one of the safest ways to bring humans home from deep space. At first glance, Artemis appears to borrow heavily from th

Every city—no matter how big or small—has that one band. The name everyone knows. The band that always comes up when someone asks, "Who should I check out from around here?" They become part of the city’s musical identity. But Akron is different. Akron didn't have just one band that stood out—it had many. And that's exactly why, when it comes to music, Akron has a sound entirely its own. For decades, Akron and the greater Northeast Ohio area have produced wave af