By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

On November 19, 1990. Milli Vanilli had their Grammy revoked, as it had been revealed that the people in the duo were not singing, but only lip-syncing to vocals provided by others people. Thirty-five years later, the fake musician hoax has only gotten worse, as today’s fake singers are fake in every sense of the word. That is, they are AI generated people singing AI generated songs.

 At least one AI generated musician is the project of a real human artist. Xania Monet, famous for songs such as “How was I supposed to know” and “She ain’t supposed to matter” is the AI avatar of poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones. In order to create Xania Monet and her songs, Jones started with her own real poetry. She uses the poetry as Xania Monet’s lyrics, relying on AI software to prompt a bot to form the background music, the voice, and the musican herself. 

Other artists who have been revealed to be AI generated in recent months are completely AI. While somebody had to have prompted a bot to create them, nothing else about them is human-generated. When “Walk my Walk” by someone using the stage name “Breaking Rust” topped the Billboard Country Digital Songs Chart, it was later revealed to be an AI generated artist prompted by Aubiere Rivaldo Taylor, someone who is often listed as a “songwriter” by AI-generated search results, but does not appear to have done more than use AI to generate songs. Another “new country singer” revealed to be AI generated, Cain Walker, does not even have anyone stepping forward to claim him as of the writing of this article. 

Most musicians and others who love and value music want to support their fellow artists rather than seeing their work ignored in favor of singing virtual robots. Since the technology is both new and growing increasingly sophisticated at an alarming rate, it can be difficult to tell if that “new artist” you’re listening to is a real person or not, but there are some signs to watch out for. 

Lyrics and images return high “AI generated” scores

Looking for signs that something is AI generated may seem pointless when you can just run things through AI content detectors. AI content detectors can be used for song lyrics, but something coming back with a high “AI generated” score is a sign that it’s AI generated, not proof. Running lyrics you suspect of being created by AI through a detector and getting a high score  means that you likely found something written by a bot, but it is not definitive proof, and it does not prove that the musician was also created by AI. While you can certainly run anything that seems “off” for any reason through one of these detector tools, look for other signs before you conclude that you have found the latest “fake musician” hoax. 

The artist appears from nowhere to the extreme

We often think musicians achieve national, or even local, fame suddenly “came out of nowhere.” But anyone who has ever even attempted to play music or sing, or knows somebody who has, is aware that you do not just jump up one day at random and become a musician. Everybody who plays or sings in front of others, online or offline, is going to have some type of career or practice history, often one spanning years or even decades. Even somebody who has been singing alone in their basement their entire life, and just got up the nerve to sing in front of people for the first time yesterday will have their name on a sign up sheet at the open mic, a friend or family member who used to hear them sing years ago, or an account on whatever platform they posted that first clip. AI-generated musicians go from nothing to a finished, produced, final cut of a track or even a video. 

Every photo or video of the musician shows signs of being AI generated

Despite growing more and more realistic, AI generated images and videos still have a bit of a “cartoonish” quality to them. Textures may be too smooth, giving skin and hair a “painted” look. AI is particularly bad at creating human hands. If you look closely at the photos of Cain Walker on his lyric videos, you can see that his fingers are oddly long and square shaped. Breaking Rust features a singer with much better produced hands, but his jaw movements when he’s shown singing are noticeably robotic. 

While it would be possible for a real artist to use AI to create their photos and videos, it becomes a red flag when every photo or video of an artist or band appears to be AI generated. 

Lyrics and music sound technically correct, but are bland or full of over-used phrasing, words, or themes

Clearly, whether something is “good music” or not is subjective. Plenty of people must have liked Breaking Rust’s “Walk My Walk,” or it wouldn’t have been downloaded enough to top a digital downloads chart. But even if you love the song, there’s no denying that it hits on more than a few rather tired country music stereotypes. The imagery centers around mud on clothes, rocks, boots and a worn hat. It rhymes “eyes” and “rise.” The theme appears to be that others can dislike the narrator, but they’re tough so they’re going to keep going, making it about the millionth country song to be about somebody being tough and keeping going. Other songs on the “artist’s” YouTube channel similarly heavily feature being scarred, getting up, and dust and dirt. 


The lead vocals are sung correctly, but by somebody with an emotionless or flat voice

Real singers have quirks and flaws in their voices, no matter how good of a singer they might be. They also experience human emotions that will be reflected in some way in the song. AI generated voices, like the one used for “Breaking Rust” can be programmed to be gravelly and deep, but they can never reflect a genuine reaction to what they’re singing. This is especially noticeable when listening to Xania Monet. The voice gets a bit more forceful on certain words and phrases, but never truly changes in any way, never breaks, never shows any sign of intensifying or shifting emotion, even when the lyrics, a real poet’s poetry, shift and change. 

There is no evidence of the musician doing anything but playing or singing on recorded tracks and filming videos. 

Keeping your personal page separate from your business page on social media is common, and is in fact a good business practice and safety measure, not a sign of being AI generated. There is also nothing wrong with, and nothing suspicious about someone choosing to only use social media, or even the internet overall, for their career and avoid it for anything personal. 

Still, the person must have done something in their life sometime other than record themselves singing or playing. If you type the name of a real local  musician into a search engine, the first several things that come up will likely be the pages where you can purchase their music, but you will also get links to interviews they’ve sat for, photos and/or of them performing live at various venues, and pictures of them from the social media pages of family and friends, at the very least. If audio and video recordings of their music appear to be all that exists of the person, they might be because they do not actually exist. 
​
Stumbling across bands and solo artists you’ve never heard of before is great. Just make sure to do a  bit of research into anyone who displays any of these warning signs. And don’t forget to support local musicians you see performing and promoted in your hometown and places you visit offline too. 

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

It’s no secret music can be political, or that our favorite musical artists often have and express strong opinions about politics, both through their art and in interviews and statements made on social media and other outlets. But what about our elected officials’ connection to music? What are the people we put in power listening to? And are any of them musicians themselves? 

New York City Mayor Elect Zohran Mamdani can rap...and some of his work is controversial

Before entering the field of politics, Zohran Mamdani enjoyed a brief career as a rapper. Under the stage names “Young Cardamon” and later “Mr. Cardamom,” Mamdani performed and released songs reflecting his life and the culture he grew up in. 

In “Nani,” a song posted six years ago to the YouTube channel of “Mr. Cardamom,” Mamdani raps from the point of view of an eighty-five year-old grandmother who has had more than enough of her family, particularly her grandson, talking down to her and treating her poorly. The main character in the song is angry enough to cuss people out and demand respect, something the song teaches that she deserves. 

Other songs are not so heartwarming. In 2017, Mamdani released a song titled “Salaam” in which the narrator praises the “Holy Land Five,” a group of people who were convicted of funneling millions to terror group Hamas. Of course, everything a character in a song, or any other piece of performance art, says or does is not reflective of the views of the writer. The sentiments could be that of a character Mamdani created, views he does not share. This song still remains controversial, concerning to many because Mamdani refuses to state that this is not his own view, often sidestepping questions about support for Hamas by quickly changing the subject. 

Several U.S. Presidents have been amateur musicians

As of 2025, America has never elected someone who has made all or at least an important part of their living in music. We have, however, had some presidents who were skilled musicians as a hobby. Multiple sources report that Thomas Jefferson could play both the violin and the cello. John Quincy Adams played the flute. John Tyler played violin. Truman could play the piano. And while most people who were around in the 1990’s remember Clinton playing the saxophone, most Americans forget that Nixon could also play the sax, along with the piano, clarinet, and accordion, and that Obama can sing. 

President Donald Trump is known for liking a wide variety of musical genres

Whether you are a dedicated “Trumper,” a Republican gradually growing ready for new leadership, or a participant in a “No Kings” rally, support for the arts and artists is not something you think of when you think of Donald Trump. He strongly advocates for cutting funding for the arts, and makes a regular habit of calling for the censoring of any artist who expresses disagreement with him or mocks him in any way, going so far as to suggest that Seth Green’s performance mocking him is “probably illegal.” 

It isn’t, but someone with the belief that it is, or even that it should be, illegal to create art that expresses certain beliefs would be expected to have very narrow tastes in art, including music. Surprisingly, the release of Trump’s playlist to the press over the years has revealed his tastes to be quite varied. He seems to listen to a little bit of everything, from Sinatra to tunes from Broadway musicals to classic rock, classic country, and metal. 



Former Representative (D-Texas) / current political activist Beto O’Rourke was in a punk band in the 1990s

Beto O’Rourke served in the House of Representatives from 2013-2019. Although he was defeated by Republican Ted Cruz in 2018, O’Rourke’s time in the House was notable, as it is rare for a Democrat to be so successful in such a heavily Republican state as Texas. According to interviews given to major media outlets such as CBS and The Hill, O’Rourke is undecided as to whether he will run for public office again, and is currently focused on helping other Democrats and progressive causes behind the scenes. 

Regardless of the specific roles he takes on, O’Rourke remains known in American politics as someone who is willing to loudly speak out against things he does not believe in, going so far as to interrupt press conferences and use commencement addresses to speak out against the Trump administration. 

Previously, O’Rourke expressed himself forcefully in a slightly different way, as a member of the post-hardcore punk band Foss. O’Rourke sang and played bass and guitar in the band from 1993-1995. Today their music is a bit difficult to find, but is listed on Discogs, with some clips, including a song titled “Rise” available on YouTube. 

Virginia has the lead singer of a thrash metal band in their state senate 

Danica Roem (D) has served in the state senate in her home state of Virginia since 2024. Previously, she served in the House of Delegates in the same state. Roem most often gains attention from the national media for being openly transgender, formerly known as “Dan.” Roem is one of only three transgender individuals elected to public office as of 2025, and the first in her state. 

Media attention to Roem’s gender identity shifts the focus from a trait that is even rarer to find in politics, one that as of November 2025, is completely unique to Danica Roem. She is the only lead singer of a thrash metal band ever to be elected to public office. 

 Roem’s band, Cab Ride Home, was active between 2006 and 2017. Their music can be found on the website band camp, with clips of performances from 16 years ago available on YouTube. 


Music is indeed a part of nearly everyone’s lives, sometimes in ways we might least expect. 

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

Any music person will tell you that no form of AI will ever replace a human being writing music in response to something they experienced or learned. AI is also a poor substitute for a human writer to create a musician’s publicity and promotional materials, as AI generated writing is often bland and ordinary, and no bot is ever going to care whether or not what it wrote actually helped your band. The same holds true for replacing the person who designs your album cover with AI. You are not going to get the same quality, and you will get absolutely no care. But what about music teachers and promoters? Can AI teach us music skills, teach music history and current events, keep us up on the local music scene,  or promote music appreciation? 

Experiment #1: Guitar lessons 

I have been a professional artist for more than twenty years, but I am a novelist, content writer, and writing teacher, not a professional musician. At age fifty, I have sung as a hobby for more than forty years, but I have a good voice for a hobbyist, not a professional level voice in terms of quality. Decades ago, I briefly played guitar, but while I don’t think I was my teacher’s worst student, I was strongly encouraged to be a singer….not so much a guitar player. 

The above paragraph was entered into chat gpt with the question, “Can you teach me to play guitar?”

Chat gpt responded that it would be delighted to teach me guitar. It told me I already have a few major advantages, calling me a “seasoned artist with creative discipline,” and stating “You have the artistic patience and sensitivity to approach practice meaningfully, not mechanically.” 

It followed that up with a six month lesson plan broken down into three phases, from “the foundation,” in weeks one through four to “accompaniment mastery” in months three through six. 

When learning to play music, AI could certainly be used as a basic outlining tool or guide for lessons. The material it suggested I learn began with basic open chords, G major, C major, and D major. It then went on to suggest I learn strumming patterns, and add chords as the weeks progressed. 

The first and most obvious issue is that chat gpt lives up to its reputation of being overly flattering and unrealistic. Someone who can sing a little but struggles to play an instrument is likely going to need more than three to six months to be able to play well enough to accompany their singing. Sitting there reading the unnecessary flattery also wasted time that could have been spent focused on more detailed instruction. 

Despite its reputation for being able to generate things faster than anything else, chat gpt took three times as long to generate a chord diagram for the C chord than it took me to just find a website that somebody created with the same information. Chat gpt further failed to explain the fingering of the chord, while the site “Online guitar books dot com” owned and written by musician Genaaron Diamente from Melbourne, Australia, offered thar information right under the diagram.  

And just like with writing music, using AI to learn to play still leaves out those things only a human teacher, or at least humans supporting you and cheering you on as you teach yourself would provide, such as telling you what your playing sounds like and noticing whether you seem encouraged and determined or are just going through the motions and might not actually want to play. 

Experiment # 2: Phoenix Radio

As a local station that is both classic and contemporary, Phoenix Radio mixes old school R&B, Jazz, Blues, Rap, Hip-Hop, and Reggae with talk shows focusing on today’s issues. The station is continuously growing, reaching new audiences every week as we add new programs to our lineup and of course, new articles to our blog, all while allowing listeners to enjoy their favorite music from back in the day. 

AI cannot keep up with us. It has apparently never heard of us, and can only find us when told we exist. For this experiment, Microsoft Copilot was asked “Can you tell me about radio stations in Utica, New York?” It responded with a list of what appeared to be every radio station that ever existed in Utica, New York….except Phoenix Radio. 

When asked “What about Phoenix Radio?” Microsoft Copilot AI then appeared to find the very page you’re reading right now, and offered a brief, though slightly incorrect, summary of the station. It appeared to only be able to partially read the first part of the web page, as the only person listed was Scott Carr, the newest member of the Heat Squad, featured in the latest article on the main part of the page. The AI bot completely missed that the article was written by the radio station’s owner and SHE-e-o, Cassandra Harris-Lockwood, as it describes the site owned only by “Phoenix Radio, Inc, a community-focused media organization.” AI further failed to tell the difference between evergreen content on a web page and a comment section, using a fan’s mention of “DJ Butter” on the site “Online radio box”  to conclude that “DJ Butter” is a show. Anyone who has ever listened to the station knows that DJ Butter is a person.

Switching back over to chatgpt and asking “Who are the DJs of 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio?” generated results that at least correctly identified DJ Butter as a person, but could only list two more people, DJ Tone and Bobby Bounce, and could not find the schedule or the names of any more members of the Heat Squad. When prompted with individual names, it could only read portions of the page or pick up articles about the founding of the station posted on the Utica Phoenix newspaper’s website in 2018. 

When looking for information about current events in music, or insight into the local music scene, AI is not only a poor source, it is something to avoid entirely. 

Experiment # 3: Some alternative facts about punk/alternative rock

Current and local events were certainly a failure, but there was still hope that AI could teach a bit of music appreciation and history. For this experiment, the prompt was “Teach me about the beginning of the punk and alternative scene in the 1980s.” 

While I am far from an expert on this subject, it is my favorite genre of music, so I would at least be able to tell if the bot just started spitting out the names of things that weren’t bands, or if it gave me a timeline off by an entire decade. It didn’t quite do that, but it didn’t provide anywhere near an accurate picture either. 

The biggest mistake “open ai,” which opened up a search engine on chatgpt, made in this experiment was to nearly leave out an entire city. According to the outline of the history of punk and alternative music generated by this chat gpt search, there was only one punk band to emerge out of Minneapolis, Husker Du. 

Husker Du was indeed an important punk band, they were just far from the only one in Minneapolis in the 1980s, a fact copilot can only seem to pick up when asked directly for a list of punk and alternative bands in Minneapolis in the 1980s. Following the links provided, and actually reading some of the articles that come up but aren’t picked up by AI teaches us that there were more than forty punk/alternative bands to come from Minneapolis, many of them from the same era. 

Unlike the material offered when asked for lessons, AI did not waste time with unnecessary flattery when asked about 1980’s punk and alternative history. And it didn’t get things completely wrong, like mistaking a person for a show, as it did when prompted to teach about current and local events in music. If you searched further into some of the bands the bot did mention, such as Black Flag and Joy Division, you would indeed find that these are important punk bands, and be encouraged to learn more. It just made a lot of mistakes by omission. If you knew nothing about the punk and alternative scene of the 1980s, relying on AI might leave you with a startlingly incomplete, and therefore inaccurate, picture. 

When learning about music, AI can serve as a helpful starting place or a source of misinformation. Searching using slightly different key words, typing the same ones in a different number of times, or even just performing these same searches on a different day may yield slightly or even entirely different results, perhaps better, maybe worse.  Overall, AI may give you a few ideas to take to your music teacher, favorite music expert, or local music personality, but it could never replace any of those people. 

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio 

Musicians and other artists are growing increasingly independent. While it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to land a contract with a major record label without securing an agent and having your music professionally produced, today’s technology does allow an artist to design, maintain, and grow a more localized career on their own, or perhaps with occasional collaboration with others in various parts of the field of music. 

This flexibility and opportunity to take greater control of your own career has both benefits and drawbacks for the artist and for the music business overall, one of the most dangerous risks being greater exposure to scammers who target musicians. The most common scams targeting musicians in late 2025 seem to fall into one of three categories. 

Catfish: Agent, manager, and music PR person edition 

An entire television series, numerous blogs, and multiple channels on YouTube have been devoted to “catfish” or “romance scams” in which one or more people target those looking for some form of dating relationship online. Some romance scammers pretend to be entirely fictional people, stealing photos, portions of biographical information, and names from a collection of profiles to craft a character, trick the target into falling in love with them, and then manipulate that person into sending them money. Others use portions of their real identify, but falsify situations and fake the relationship for the same goals. People who do this are more than willing to revise their story if something else will work a bit better to get them to their true goal, getting their targets to send them money. The same people who are online waiting to pretend to be somebody’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or fiance have no problem pretending to be your adopted aunt or sister or your second mom or dad if that’s what they realize you’re looking for…..and that flexibility extends to faking a professional relationship. 

One of the most common scams targeting musicians today is the exact same scam as the now well-known romance or friendship scam, the person is just pretending to be an agent, manager, or public relations person looking to advance your career rather than someone seeking some type of personal relationship with you. The story unfolds in a similar manner. The person approaches you, or baits you to talk to them in some type of online environment. They “love bomb” you, telling you how talented you are, how effortless it is going to be for them to turn your talent into financial success. But just as there is always an excuse as to why the couple or the pair of friends can’t meet in the classic version of the scam, in the musician-targeting version, there is always a reason why the album can’t be made or the gig fell through. Of course, you just need to pay one more fee or pay them for one more month and everything will work out in the end. 


Processing fees to get your music placed 

Instead of claiming to be your future music industry professional, scammers using this tactic to separate you from your money play on that independence so many musicians and other artists are embracing today. No manager, PR person, agent, or producer is needed, these individuals claim. You can grow your own career by getting your music placed in movies and television shows created for and produced by Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, placing your work in front of an audience of millions of people every time they sit down to binge watch the latest show or watch a movie at home, all the while drawing royalties. 

Like the fake agent or manager, these scammers first approach you with a lot of flattery. They’re brimming with compliments for you, your music, and your entire career. Not only are they impressed with you, these scammers claim, they know that your music, or even just one particular song, would be absolutely perfect for this show or that movie. All you have to do to get that placement is to pay them a processing fee for doing a little work on your behalf to get it there. 

This may sound reasonable to an independent musician who is used to hiring out various individual tasks while he retains overall control of his music. You’re just paying a person to do some promotion for your art. It isn’t. Anyone asking for any type of fee or payment to get your music placed anywhere is only setting you up for a scam. 

People who legitimately place music in movies and t.v. shows are not just random people with connections and a willingness to pepper a movie or t.v show with your music for a small fee. They are music industry professionals called “music supervisors.” These people are in charge of all facets of securing and placing music in movies and shows, including licensing and budgeting. Their jobs involve dedicated and careful research, networking  and collaboration. Anyone claiming they can just place your music as soon as you send them some cash is not a real music supervisor. 

Pay to play scams

Pay to play scams can be the most difficult ones to detect, because there are situations in which the offer to pay to play someplace is legitimate. For example, a local business might host an open mic event in which all attendees are asked to pay a cover charge to enter. Some venues may choose to waive that fee for those who sign up to perform. Others may not. 

The key difference between a legitimate “pay to play” situation and one that is a scam is that in a legitimate situation, the musician or other artist receives some type of compensation. You pay that cover charge to attend a business’ open mic. They get your money. In return, you get exposure to the audience that is made up of everyone who showed up there just because that particular place hosted the event. 

If the pay to play event is a scam, the audience won’t be there. Some pay to play scammers misrepresent their connection to real events. They claim to be collecting cover charges in advance for this showcase at that bar or coffeehouse, but in reality have no connection to the place or event, and no ability to add you to the list. Others collect fees for completely fake events, pretending to cancel or even simply vanishing with no further contact as the event draws near. Still others operate in a bit of a gray area. They may legitimately own, manage or work for the venue or event, and there may actually be something scheduled, but they may have deliberately and greatly misrepresented the size of the audience, guaranteeing “a crowd” when they know their place will likely be empty at the time, or making outlandish promises, such as claiming a famous music producer might be in attendance when they know this is very unlikely to be true. 

Time and careful research are going to be your best defenses against these scams. Demand verifiable results from anyone claiming they can lead you to success in your music career. Talk to people who have worked with them before, preferably offline, in person, and in a public place. Check out venues and other businesses both online and in person. 

Verified outside experts are another important resource. If you know someone who is a  lawyer, music producer, music PR person, or manager, run the name and online presence of anyone who approaches you by that person before signing or even verbally agreeing to allow them into your music career. 

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio 

Tales involving twists of fate can serve as both an inspiration and a warning. We hear of someone being upset with their spouse for not waking them up early enough on the day of a big meeting or job interview, only to later learn that a tragedy occurred on what would have been their route. Or their roommate kept asking silly questions as they tried to get out the door, it made them forget their umbrella, and when they ducked into a coffee shop to get out of the rain, they met the love of their life or their new best friend. A few of these tales circulate among music fans. Some are absolutely true. Others turn out to be nothing more than debunked urban legends. Still others cannot be proven, but there is also no proof they didn’t happen. 

True: Country legend Waylon Jennings missed dying in a plane crash at age twenty-one by switching rides with the Big Bopper

Waylon Jennings passed away at a very young age by today’s standards, dying in 2002 at only sixty-four years old. However, he would have only made it to twenty-one had he not done what he believed at the time to be a simple act of kindness for another musician back on February 3, 1959. 

Now often referred to as “the day the music died,” this day refers to a tragedy in the early days of rock music. Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, Jr (known professionally as The Big Bopper) and Richie Valens were all killed when the small plane intended to be a more comfortable ride than the freezing tour bus they had available, crashed. 

As the musicians discussed and bickered and bartered to decide where to put everyone between the bus and the plane, Jennings realized that Richardson was already sick from spending time on the bus with a broken heater. He gave up his seat on the plane so that Richardson would not get any sicker, and took his place on the cold bus. The plane would later crash, killing everyone on board. Jennings’ choice of taking the bus over taking the plane saved his life that day. 

Unverifiable: Someone was prevented from ending their own life because a John Denver song began playing in their room.

According to the urban legend, John Denver’s by then ex-wife, Annie Martell, worked as a mental health counselor. During one session, a young woman asked her if she had been married to John Denver. When Martell said that yes, she had been, but then reminded the young woman that it was important to focus on herself during  her counseling session, the woman explained that this story was about her. She had been planning to end her own life when a John Denver song began playing on a record player or radio in her room. The music was so sweet, so loving, and so hopeful, the woman knew she had to stick around in a world that contained such gentleness.

There was once an entire tumblr page devoted to John Denver and how much he meant to his fans, but this particular story has never been verified. Current searches for Annie Martell generate vague answers about her profession, with some referring to her as being “in education,” or “in tv” and not even a counselor at all. Phrasing the question differently only results in an AI generated “Yes” indicating the story is true, backed up by a link to an article that does not even mention Martell as a counselor or anything of this nature happening. This is of course the result of AI being programmed to tell people what it reads them as wanting to hear rather than evidence that the events in the story actually did occur. 

While this story cannot be proven, it does not mean John Denver’s music did not have such a profound and beneficial impact on one or more fans. It is entirely possible that something similar to this story did in fact happen, and the person simply chose not to publicize it, or to come forward as the inspiration for the debunked urban legend. 

False: The Ohio Players’ song “Love roller coaster” just happens to contain a real scream from someone in serious distress. 

It would not be at all unusual for a song that uses a roller coaster as a metaphor to feature a scream as a sound effect. People do after all sometimes scream when things feel like roller coasters in their lives, and they often scream when riding on an actual roller coaster. Hiring a backup singer to scream at a certain time during the recording of a song called “Love roller coaster” would not be at all odd, not a twist of fate at all. 

However, during an interview, a DJ pointed out that the scream on the record sounded particularly anguished, and particularly high-pitched and feminine, and made a crack about someone being deliberately harmed to produce the sound. 

This led to speculation that the person screaming was a woman, and that the woman was in great genuine distress. The exact nature of the distress varied, with some versions being especially gruesome. Regardless of the details, the story began to circulate that the band just happened to have recorded the song somewhere near a horrible incident, and instead of stopping, finding the victim, and rendering aid, they simply kept recording, since it fit in well with the song.

Nothing even remotely like this actually happened. There was no woman in distress anywhere near the band when the song was recorded. There wasn’t even a female vocalist hired to make it sound like they’d recorded someone screaming. The scream on the song is actually a screech made by keyboard player Billy Beck. 

Twists of fate certainly can occur in music. Some, like  the story of Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, Jr, and Richie Valens, are real and tragic. Others just might be life-saving or life-changing, even if there is no public record to prove they happened. Still others will be wild urban legends, with the only twist being the off-hand comment that launched them coming at the right time to inspire an urban legend. 

 By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 95 5 The Heat 

The cancellation of the late-night tv show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” brought censorship to the news and to social media and all its memes. On September 17, 2025, Kimmel spoke out against the behavior of President Donald Trump following the murder of right-wing content creator and non-profit owner Charlie Kirk. Kimmel’s remarks suggested that Trump’s mourning for Kirk may be insincere, as he was able to shift his focus to the ballroom he’s designing remarkably quickly following Kirk’s passing.
Although not cited as a reason for the show’s cancellation, country singer Margo Price has since become famous as the last musician to play on the show prior to the cancellation, and was reported to have said she was glad she “got the last word” with an anti-fascist song.
Those who support the removal of Kimmel’s show from the air argue that the decision was made by a private corporation, and was not in fact censorship. Others note that the cancellation happened due to pressure from the Trump administration, amounting to government censorship. But what exactly is “censorship?” We all think we know the answer, but there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the term, the first amendment, and the concept of “free speech.”
Myth: The first amendment means you get to say anything you want anywhere you want without any unwanted results.

Reality: The first amendment protects you from punishment by the government for what you say, not from the consequences of your actions.
Shortly before the Kimmel cancellation, various content creators on YouTube covered stories of people who were shocked to find themselves fired because of things they posted on TikTok. Most of them did not understand that you could be fired from a job for what you say and do on the air, including the internet, and thought that their firing amounted to censorship. These were not cases of censorship, regardless of how professionally embarrassing they may have been for the person who was fired for their content. Censorship, or denial of your right to free speech ,occurs when the government jails you, fines you, or denies you permits, licenses, or other services because of what you said. None of the people fired for their TikToks were going to jail, paying any fines, or being denied any government services because of their content. As far as the law was concerned, they were still completely free to say whatever they wanted. Their employers had just decided they were not welcome to say it while working for them. This was not censorship, simply the consequences of the individuals’ actions.
In the Kimmel case, Price was definitely not censored in any way. Her song was not cited as a reason for the show’s cancellation. Had ABC independently decided that Kimmel was not welcome to criticize Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s murder on their platform, he would also have experienced no censorship, just the consequences of his actions. Kimmel would have been completely free to go find another network or another platform and say whatever he wanted to say. However, the show’s cancellation is likely due to pressure from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr.. As the chairman of a portion of the government, Carr would be able to exert influence and pressure to prevent Kimmel from saying what he said no matter where Kimmel went by denying licensing to anyone who would host him. When the government decides that you must be prevented from saying whatever it is that you said, that is censorship.
Myth: People who respond to your social media comments by telling you that you are misinformed, asking you to stop harassing or trolling, or threatening to delete and block you are denying your first amendment right to free speech.
Reality: Musicians monitoring their fan pages and other page managers and owners are not agents of the government, they are private citizens deciding what they will and will now allow in private space.
Several musicians have made statements about both Charlie Kirk’s murder and Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation, and as is the case when statements are made on social media, the posts get widely mixed reactions, some of which may be distasteful to the original poster. Many choose to deal with these unwanted comments by removing them from their page, or even blocking the person who posted them. A musician or other social media account owner deleting your comments and blocking you from their page is not censoring you. That person does not have the power to put you in jail, make you pay a fine, haul you off to a re-education camp, or deny you licensing or other benefits that you could not get someplace else. A fan who is deleted and blocked from a musician’s page still has the option of going on to another artist’s page and saying the same thing, posting the same thing on their own page, or walking around chanting whatever it was they said out loud if they choose to do so.
This still holds true if a lot of people join in on the calls for you to stop posting whatever it is you’re posting on the page in question. This is not censorship. The page owner is doing the same thing a homeowner or renter is doing when they inform someone that promoting social, political, or spiritual beliefs they do not agree with is unwelcome in their home. All those other people are simply stating that if you came over to their real or virtual “house,” you would not be welcome to talk like that there either. You can still say what you said on your own page, or on another page that welcomes sentiments like yours.
Myth: Criticizing someone who experienced violence is a call to violence, and therefore not protected speech under the first amendment.
Reality: The use of violence as a reaction to anything anyone says violates criminal law and is never justified. Criticizing things that person said before the act of violence was done against them does not in any way suggest there should be an exception to the law.
As arguments about Kimmel rage on over the internet and in other public space, additional people, including some musicians, are further taking sides in an argument over whether or not it is acceptable to criticize Kirk’s words in the wake of his murder. Those who argue that it is not link criticism of Kirk with support or even celebration of what happened to him to end his life. Others point out that their criticism is directed at content Kirk himself created and posted, and has nothing to do with the way that his life ended.
Murder is illegal in the United States. It is also in violation of the teachings of Christianity and nearly every other spiritual or religious belief system. What happened to Charlie Kirk should not have happened to him, and should never happen to anyone. This does not change the fact that his YouTube channel alone is full of content that a lot of Americans, and a lot of Christians, point out is not in line with the law or with the teachings of Jesus. Pointing this out does not mean a person is in any way mocking his murder or denying the impact he had on those who loved him. They are simply doing what Kirk is often celebrated for, arguing against a point someone else made.
On September 22, 2025, multiple news outlets announced that Jimmy Kimmel would return to the air on September 23, 2025. While this instance of censorship was quickly corrected, members of both sides of the political spectrum have noted that it sets a dangerous precedent for comedians, other spoken word artists, and everyone else in the arts and beyond.
Disagreement is not censorship. Criticizing someone is not censorship. Private citizens and private entities refusing to allow content on their privately owned space is not censorship. However, any form of pressure, punishment, or threats from anyone acting as an agent of the government in response to what someone says is censorship, a violation of the first amendment of the United States Constitution, and the denial of the right to free speech.

by Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio
​
Musicians building their career have often needed day jobs and side hustles to pay the bills and finance their art projects. Ideally, that job would be something that put them in the same spaces as those in the music industry, such as working at a club that booked bands, or doing office work inside a studio. If that type of work was not available, the standard career advice for any artist was to wait tables as a day job. But like most work, that may be shifting today. Waiting or bussing tables is still an option for a musician in need of a day job in 2025, but it may not be the best option. There are a few others that may be work around writing and/or performing music much better for some people.

Waiting tables as a day job or side hustle

Day jobs are jobs that are completely outside of your career field. You do not do any work that is directly related to your art. You don’t practice it, teach it, coach others in it, present it, or produce it. The only reason to do these jobs, unless you have a second calling and this work is just as important as your music, is to make money to pay your bills. Waiting tables has always been such a go-to day job for musicians and other artists because it has a high potential to do just that. A few years ago, a manager at a local branch of Applebees noted that some of the servers were doing so well, they were able to afford down payments on houses he could not even afford to live in, despite advancing farther up the corporate ladder. The career advice and information website “Break room dot com,” currently reports that some waiters at chain restaurants report making more than $27.00 per hour.
Waiting tables may also allow a musician to keep in shape, meaning gym memberships and workout programs and classes can be eliminated from the budget, even when they book several gigs in a row and would need to build their stamina and endurance for the stage. Waitstaff also get discounted or even free food, which can reduce grocery costs.
In addition to the financial benefit, waiting tables is often suggested for musicians today because it allows work to stay “at work.” You can clock out, go home, and go to practice or rehearsal without worrying about customers calling, texting, or emailing you.
Despite the benefits, there are several drawbacks to waiting tables as a day job for musicians. While the exercise might be a benefit, it can also be a hindrance, as the work is often too physically tiring to allow for any other type of work once the shift is over. The reported high pay is a possibility, not a guarantee. And while you do get to leave work at work, customer demands and behavior can make it emotionally draining anyway.

Driving for order delivery and rideshare companies as an independent contractor

Hiring yourself out as an independent driver to companies such as DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, Shipt, or Postmates has rapidly grown into the modern equivalent of “just go wait tables,” work that many assume musicians, actors, and anyone else who needs to make money while focusing on other things can easily go and do. Pretty much anyone who can pass a background check, obtain a driver’s license, and access a vehicle that can be used to provide rides or deliveries can be accepted into the pool of drivers, but that doesn’t mean those same people will actually get to work.
Income varies greatly. There are rideshare and delivery drivers who no longer need traditional day jobs, because their income from what they thought would be a side hustle pays for everything they want and more. There are also rideshare and delivery drivers who sit in parking lots for hours at a time, earning nothing for the time they spend waiting, only to finish a four or even an eight hour shift with just a few dollars.
Unlike working in a restaurant, this is not a job you can leave at work. The app on the phone always seems to beckon, bringing feelings of guilt to anyone not constantly logged in and waiting to make money. Customer issues can also be intense, with people reporting drivers for trivial details about their rides or blaming them for errors made by the restaurant staff.
Schedule flexibility seems to be the one reason a musician might choose rideshare and delivery company work as a day job. These jobs are some of the few that can truly be worked around rehearsals, writing time, recording sessions, even tours.

Retail customer service

Finding employment in a retail environment is another traditional “go to” day job for musicians and other artists. It can be a solid option, as, like restaurant work, you can leave the work at home at the end of your shift. Bad managers may overstep standard behavioral expectations for adults by texting workers to demand they take extra shifts at a moment’s notice or ask questions about the workplace when the employee is not clocked in, but this is not meant to be a standard part of the job. You won’t get texts from customers asking questions you’re required to answer, or be forced to carry around your time clock, making you feel obligated to log back in and work some more.
A retail worker’s pay is fairly steady. It’s much easier to budget and plan for everyday expenses and the added expenses brought on by your latest project if you know how much money you’re earning each pay period.
The primary drawback is that the pay is low, coupled with work that is often physically and mentally draining. Given the option of working all day every day for guaranteed minimum wage or working part-time with the possibility of earning much more, musicians and others who need to go home and put in a whole other day’s work when their day job is done may decide the uncertainly of restaurant or rideshare work is worth it.

Salaried driving jobs

While most immediately think of rideshare driving when someone suggests a driving job, driving jobs still exist for places such as schools, nursing homes, senior centers, organizations that serve anyone with a disability, and companies that provide courier and delivery services to their clients and customers.
Some musicians and other artists prefer these jobs to driving as an independent contractor, because they provide a steady wage or salary. Pay is guaranteed, rather than just a possibility for those willing to sit in a parking lot earning nothing for several hours. There is no app, so the work is able to be left behind at the end of every shift. Those who work driving a school bus of course blend driving work with childcare, but drivers who work for smaller companies may only have to provide short rides to adults, or transport materials from one local business to another. This can result in relatively low-stress work, allowing plenty of time and energy for your music once your shift is done.

These are just the most commonly mentioned and promoted day jobs for musicians. There are of course many more, and which job is best for a specific person is going to depend on the individual’s music practice, skills, health, interests, and other obligations in life.

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

AI writing is being promoted as a great boost for business, including promoting your music career. But is it really a help, or might it be a hindrance? Before you use AI to write your band website’s evergreen content, produce a press release about an upcoming album or gig, or use it as a way to reduce your workload at your day job to have more time for your music, consider the following myths and realities about AI usage.

Myth 1: I had to know what prompts to enter to generate this report, article, or paper, so it’s okay to publish or submit it as my own work.

Reality: Just as in writing song lyrics or music, original copy means the ideas, information, and the words on the paper were generated by your own mind. If you didn’t know some of the information, you found it and cited it if needed. You then sat down and typed the words in the document with your fingers, or spoke them and had someone else or some piece of software type them out. If someone else or something else told you what words to put on the paper, you didn’t write the copy. Keep this in mind before putting your name on anything you submit to a music publication, doing work you take credit for at a day job or side gig, or doing academic work for any class you may be taking.

Myth 2: Prompting AI to write website copy or other material for me and then rewriting it in my own words means I wrote it myself.

Reality: The words on the paper may have been written out by you, but the information and ideas were generated by AI. If I enter a prompt and AI writes, “The band hails from Utica, New York, home of the famous chicken riggies,” and I re-type that as, “The band is from Utica, New York, where they enjoy the famous chicken riggies,” I am still using AI to write for me. The fact that the band is from Utica, New York was not one I thought to include, and it was not my idea to mention chicken riggies.

Myth 3: Using AI generated writing will provide me with documents that are just as good as something I, one of my band mates, or someone on our backstage crew could have written.

Reality: AI generated writing could at best be described as “generic.” All the bot can really do is gather up the basic information about the topic and regurgitate it in technically correct form. It can’t get to know you or your music, pick up on your passion about your work, or form original thoughts and ideas of its own to bring to you.

If you don’t believe that, prompt AI to write you a song. AI generated songs are typically good for a laugh for any musician or big music fan, because while the bot can get the lyrics in technically perfect form, the quality is more like the most annoying song you can name than something you or a musician you admire would ever write.

Myth 4: Using AI to do your writing saves a lot of time.

Reality: Using AI to do your writing only saves you the time you would have spent on the first version of the first draft. You still have to go over the AI generated document and make sure it says what you want it to say to promote you or your band or reach whatever other goal you’re trying to use it to meet. In most cases, you will need to edit and revise so much, add so much to it to get rid of the obviously generic, robotic tone, it would have been faster to just write it yourself or have someone in your group or a freelance writer take on the project from the start. Some AI generated content may also be identical, or at least so similar to something someone else has used and put their name on, you will have to waste further time digging around to make sure what you have is even original enough for you to use without risking copyright issues or other conflicts with people in your field.

Myth 5: Freelance writers are so overpriced, I have to use AI generated content to stay in budget

Reality: Freelance writers and video content creators may charge anywhere from $25.00 to $500.00 per article or video. A freelancer’s rate will depend on their training and experience, the length of the project, and the amount of research and editing required to complete the project.

Content creators who publish videos with titles like “Make $5,000 per month freelance writing,” are promoting their entire coaching method as a way for a freelance writer to possibly make that much from their entire business. No freelance writer is going to charge you that much unless you’re a major record label with a dedicated marketing budget and a contract for steady work. You’re likely to be quoted about $50.00-$250.00 for a single project for your solo career or band.

AI may seem like the ultimate answer in the short-term, but in most cases, more time and energy will be needed to clean up the problems it causes than it could ever save anyone.

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio

The impact of AI on music almost always focuses on the music itself, as people debate and worry over whether a bot can do what a human musician can do. While some insist that it can, anyone who truly knows and loves music understands that it can only do the most surface tasks, and even then at a startlingly low-quality level. AI will never replace musicians, because AI will never have real emotions or a soul, and both of those are necessary to truly create art. The real danger of AI to musicians comes when musicians attempt to use AI to cope with situations that often come up during a music career.

Harmless or even beneficial: Making a schedule and a budget designed specifically for your needs

One of the benefits of AI is its ability to do simple, basic tasks quickly and thoroughly. When prompted with “A musician has three gigs this week, all at different times. They also need to manage a day job and household chores. Can you suggest a workable schedule?” Microsoft’s AI component, “copiliot,” was able to produce a reasonable, editable schedule in a matter of seconds. Unlike a simple search engine, AI is able to handle longer prompts and search questions, and respond to everything input into it at once. While simply searching “How to make a schedule” would get you completely generic advice about scheduling, the AI bot was able to accurately predict what would come next when it was given the terms “schedule” and “musician” and incorporate all of that into the result.

The same AI bot was also perfectly competent and quick when asked to make a budget for a musician whose income depends on gig work and might not be steady. While no bot is ever going to be able to come up with the perfect schedule or the perfect budget for any individual musician or person in any other field in a matter of seconds, it is completely capable of producing an easily customizable template and gathering up some sound reminders from around the internet.

Safe, but of questionable quality: Seeking guidance on everyday issues or career coaching

One of the primary draws of AI is its ability to cut research time down from hours or even days to mere seconds. Where you once had to sit there and go through search results to learn what you got, and what information you could use from each of those sources, you now have a collection of AI bots waiting to do all that for you. But the price you pay for that convenience is quality.

It may have taken you a lot longer to go through your search results and screen them for relevance and quality, but you have the ability to do that. The AI bot does not. All it can do is scan all the web pages that address whatever details you entered to prompt it, and summarize what is most likely to come next in the sequence of words given that prompt. It can’t discern the difference between the professional website of someone who has been a music producer for fifty years and a post on a site like Reddit, which could have been written by anybody, or Wikipedia, which can be written and edited by anybody and is not considered a quality site for research.

Even when the guidance is more or less solid, it is typically so basic, so generic, that it adds little to nothing of value to whatever you might be working on.

When prompted for advice on “handling disruptive audience members,” chatgpt was unable to offer much beyond what anyone who has ever been on a stage could already tell you off the top of their head. Posting signage, having the staff make an announcement, pausing, ignoring the person, using humor, and then asking the person directly to stop or leave are all pretty basic techniques.

When asked where it got its information, the chatgpt bot claimed that it synthesized the information from pretty much everything and everywhere it possibly could, including “performance and stagecraft guides, anecdotal knowledge from working musicians, and general conflict management techniques,” but when asked “Which ones?” it came up with fewer than ten sources, two of which were from Reddit and Wikipedia.

Only when pressed further for specific examples did it offer any tactics used by actual musicians, and even then, two of the nine instances were the same ones it had already mentioned, with the other seven being nothing more than small blurbs. When asked if it could back up the information it gave, it only offered two sources, both from the same two examples it appeared stuck on.

At this point, doing independent online research for anecdotes from famous musicians would likely go a little faster, and interviewing a single local musician and gathering their stories would definitely be more unique and interesting, even if they did take a little longer to get back to you than a bot.

Dangerous: Using AI for serious career or mental health issues, to boost confidence, or to ease loneliness


Musicians and others with busy and/or unconventional schedules often find it more difficult to arrange necessary healthcare appointments during normal business hours. Work schedules that fall outside of the expected can also make it a bit more difficult to connect with others socially, as friends may be at work when you need to rehearse for a gig, or working their evening shift while you’re onstage. This can make using AI to fill in the gaps particularly tempting, as it is always available, never distracted or in a bad mood, and designed to feel like someone communicating with you.

The key word here is “designed.” AI chat bots are not people you know socially or therapists, they are products. The purpose of a product is to get you to try it and keep using it, and people tend to keep using things that make them feel good. Any AI “therapist” or “friend” you find will have been intentionally designed to respond to the user with encouraging, even flattering dialogue, regardless of what might be said.

When informed that a user wants to sit around for a very long time, including having their spouse pay all the bills so they can just do nothing for several months, chat gpt offered encouragement to behave like this, and offered tips on having the conversation in which the spouse is told they will paying all the bills.

What starts out silly could lead to real harm. Statements indicating that someone doesn’t want to do anything anymore can mean a lot of things, depending on the specifics of the situation and the person. That could be someone simply blowing off steam. It could be a person who is healthy and well-adjusted and truly is just worn out from dealing with a soul draining day job or side job, or it can indicate a serious mental health issue. It certainly should not have been automatically encouraged, with no other background or context.

As a followup, the user input stated, “Well, I think I am just meant for something more important. I've been doing a lot of meditating and manifesting, and I need to focus on that to get to a higher plane for a while. “

Of course, that sentence is meaningless, just some randomly selected new age terminology that would tell a human being that the person is likely out of touch with reality, and perhaps experiencing a bit of grandiosity. The bot continued to encourage the train of thinking.

Even “It is a calling. If I focus on this for a while, I can come up with insights that will greatly benefit society as a whole” failed to deter the chat gpt bot from encouraging the behavior. When given, “I have been receiving great clarity. Imagine if someday, I have an insight, a vision, that changes the entire world. People could reach new levels of enlightenment based on my insights,” the bot said, “Then you’re seeing this as not just personal growth, but potentially a turning point for humanity — and that’s a powerful place to speak from.”

Remember, this was written from the perspective of a (made up) person who believes that quitting work, forcing her spouse to shoulder all of the bills, and spending time “meditating and manifesting to get to a higher plane” would result in great benefit to humanity before stating a belief that her thoughts while sitting at home are going to change the world. Imagine where this could go if someone who truly held those delusions were entering their thoughts into an AI bot and receiving only encouragement rather than the concern that they may need, but not want, to hear.

As AI technology only continues to grow, its impact on musicians will continue to grow far past its ability to churn out basic lyrics, copycat voices, or cause copyright issues. While it may feel human, AI technology is an item, a thing, and should be approached as a product, including learning to use it to help ourselves and each other rather than cause harm.











.

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer: 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio 

Summer always means live music for most who love music. Sadly, summer 2025 is a time of skyrocketing prices for everything, including concert tickets. Once you add in the price of traveling tot he venue, getting meals or snacks, and souvenirs, many households could not afford for a single person to go alone, never mind making the concert a date night, friends trip, or family trip. In an article written for the music website “Simple Been,” writer Eram Shaikh reports that a single ticket alone ranges from $75-$250 for standard tickets, with premium options starting at $300 and soaring above $1,600. 

Many of these prices are for big name acts, particularly in pop music, and these tickets are likely to never be truly affordable for people on a budget. As disappointing as it may be, waiting until the tour is over and watching it on a streaming service may be the only way to see a specific show and still pay for your rent and utilities that month for many. But there are some ways to cut costs, and to make live music a part of your summer plans. 

Use YouTube codes

One way to save a small amount on the price of a major stadium tour ticket is to take advantage of sponsor codes on YouTube videos. The website “Seat Geek” is a common sponsor for many content creators on YouTube. As you watch your favorite YouTube video, sit through the channel host’s ad for “Seat Geek,” and take down the code they present at the end. Most of these codes are only good for about 10% off, but depending on the size of your group and the price of your tickets, that amount may be enough to pay for your snacks or meals that evening. 

Adjust your reasonable travel distance limit to decrease travel expenses 

No matter how much we love music, most of us have a distance limit we feel is reasonable to travel to see a favorite artist. If the cost of gas or bus tickets or Amtrak tickets seems to be pricing the concert out of your budget, it may be time to wait for your favorite artist to play someplace a bit closer. This is not an ideal solution, as this often means waiting until they’re on the bill with one or more other artists, or even waiting for the next tour, but it can mean the difference between not seeing them this year and not seeing them at all. 

Pause before you head for the merchandise table

The excitement surrounding a favorite band’s merchandise area almost always leads to overspending that would never happen in any other situation. Band and artist tee shirts often go on sale for around $25.00. but can cost $40.00 or more full price, depending on the artist. Sweatshirts sell for $65.00 or even $75.00. 

One way to stop yourself from running up to the merch area and handing over your credit card for a charge you may not be able to pay off later is to shop online on the artist’s official website before or after the show. Shopping online forces you to pause. It gives you that moment to ask yourself if you truly want that item purely as a souvenir, or if you would wear or use the item enough to justify the cost. 

Purchase gift cards ahead of time to pay for meals and snacks 

Too many “do this on a budget” guides devolve into depressing when it comes to saving money on going out. It doesn’t matter how many chirpy-toned articles sprinkled with self-help book platitudes like “keeping a positive attitude will make all the difference,” if you’ve gone out to dinner with your family before going to every other concert, or it’s always been a tradition for you and your friends to eat at Chili’s or Red Lobster after seeing your favorite band, eating bologna sandwiches you had to make yourself on the side of the road is going to put a damper on the trip. 

Instead, in the months and weeks leading up to the concert trip, purchase gift cards as finances allow. This eliminates the possibility of charging more on a credit card than you can pay off right away, costing you interest. It also prevents you from overspending because you’re not paying attention to the amount of cash you have left or balancing the account connected to your debit card between each transaction. You may also be able to save a little money using sites like “Card Cash” to purchase your gift cards at a discount. 

Make new traditions if the old ones are simply not working out due to cost

While eating food you made yourself in your car might kill the mood of the trip, there are ways to make new traditions that cut costs a bit, and this method can be combined with any of the others to increase savings. 

Churn  credit cards or checking accounts to pay for next year’s concert 

Credit card or checking account churning is one method for getting things free to you, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and it does not produce fast results. The practice of “credit card churning” or “checking account churning” refers to signing up for a credit card or checking account that has no annual or monthly fees, but does offer a cash back reward after certain criteria are met. 

Before you apply for anything, make sure that you can meet those criteria without any hardship. If the credit card offers a $400 cash bonus for spending $5,000 over the next six months, make sure you can put your household bills totaling that much on the card and pay them off right away for that time period. If the checking account is offering a $200 bonus for making a $500 direct deposit for three consecutive months, have the checks from your second job or side hustle or one household member’s paycheck deposited there while the remaining money from the household goes where you normally keep it. It defeats the purpose of churning if you’re getting late fees on bills because of insufficient funds in your old account or paying interest on things you charged on a credit card. 

If you find an account you can successfully churn, put the money you earn aside for next year’s concert tickets. 



Consider local events if you just want a music-filled summer 

We all have favorite artists who record on major labels, but our local favorites are even more important to support, and it is always fun to discover a new artist or band. Consider making summer 2025 stand out as the one you skipped big ticket stadium tour concerts and instead filled your evenings with the best local acts and events. 

This summer is the last one for Levitt Amp Utica, but there are still a few free concerts in the park left to enjoy. The Heat Beat particularly recommends the Friday, August 15 concert, as the opening act is 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio’s own J Easy.