Robert Hendrix

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. disqualifies someone as...

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 case, brought by 33...

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 the past. The...