Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes to perform at CMT Music Awards

Published May 13, 2013

Associated Press

Taylor Swift leads a list of country's hottest stars set to perform at the CMT Music Awards next month.

Swift, Miranda Lambert's Pistol Annies, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes and Little Big Town are the first performers announced for the June 5 awards show.

Jason Aldean and Kristen Bell are set to host the fan-voted awards show when it is broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Lambert, Bryan and Eric Church are this year's top nominees. Fans can vote in all categories at the music channel's website through June 2. Six finalists for top honor video of the year will be announced at the top of the broadcast and fans can vote on a winner during the show.

More performers and presenters will be announced later.

View the original article here

Inmates, Chicago orchestra members perform together behind bars

Published April 14, 2013

Associated Press

CHICAGO –  The Italian-born director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti, has attended a concert in a jail performed by a group of the orchestra's musicians as well as inmates.

It happened Sunday at Chicago's Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. The mostly teenage inmates are awaiting trial, many on serious charges.

It's part of an outreach program championed by Muti.

After the concert, he told the inmates the concert was "a wonderful beginning." He added that, "You will join society with the sense of harmony you learned here."

The inmates participated in a weeklong musical workshop that culminated with the concert.

One piece began with a classical bass playing Bach's Cello Suite in C major. The teens then joined in rapping. Some of their parents cried as they listened in the audience.

View the original article here