If you've ever wondered how much you really know about the musical genre that has defined generations, this is the perfect place to find out!

rock and roll, born in the 1950s, burst into the world as a wave of rebellion and youthful energy. Figures such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard revolutionized the music scene with their unique sound, mixing elements of blues, country and rhythm & blues. Over the decades, rock has evolved and diversified, giving rise to subgenres such as classic rock, hard rock. , heavy metal, punk rock, alternative rock and many more. Each with its own style, sound and message, rock has reflected the concerns, emotions and struggles > of each generation.

From The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Queen , rock has given life to iconic bands that have left an indelible mark in the history of music. His songs, his concerts and his lifestyle have inspired millions of people around the world. And not only that, rock has not remained stuck in the past. Decades after its birth, it continues to evolve and adapt to new times. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Radiohead have pioneered new sounds and styles, maintaining the rebellious and contestant spirit of rock.

Are you ready to test your knowledge about the history, the legends and the songs that have made the rock an eternal genre? Answer the questions of our viral quiz and find out if you are a true rock connoisseur, a rising rockstar or a apprentice of rock! rocker!

Share your result with your friends and challenge them to see who is the real rockstar! Remember that the most important thing is to be true to yourself, enjoy music and live life to the fullest, with or without a rockstar attitude.

Let the rock party begin and may the music accompany you!

A little over a year has passed since the sad departure of Taylor Hawkins, the talented drummer of Foo Fighters, due to an overdose in Bogotá, Colombia, just before his performance at the Festival Estéreo Picnic. Recently, the acclaimed band confirmed the addition of Josh Freese as their new drummer for their upcoming tour dates, raising expectations and curiosity among fans.

Who is Josh Freese?

Josh Freese, a noted musician in his 50s, is not only known for his skill behind the drums, but also as a songwriter. His career took off in 1989 with his participation in the punk rock group The Vandals. Since then, he has left a significant mark on the music industry. In addition to joining Foo Fighters, Freese has been a drummer for renowned bands such as Nine Inch Nails (2005-2008), A Perfect Circle (1999-2011) and Guns N'Roses (1998-2001).

It doesn't stop there, as Freese has also played the role of studio drummer for The Offspring in 2001 and has collaborated on over 400 recordings throughout his career. He even, at one point, replaced Zac Farro, drummer for Paramore. Now, he faces the challenge of filling in for Taylor Hawkins in Foo Fighters.

Who are the Foo Fighters?

Foo Fighters is a renowned American rock band that was formed in 1994. It was created by Dave Grohl, leader and vocalist, who had previously been the drummer for the influential band Nirvana. After the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, Grohl decided to embark on a new musical project and Foo Fighters was born.

The band has gained massive popularity and recognition worldwide thanks to its distinctive alternative rock sound and energetic live performances. They have released numerous hit albums including "The Color and the Shape", "There Is Nothing Left to Lose", "Wasting Light" and "Concrete and Gold".

Foo Fighters is characterized by its introspective lyrics, catchy melodies and powerful stage performances. They have received multiple awards, including Grammy Awards, and have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

What happened to Taylor Hawkins?

Taylor Hawkins, the charismatic drummer for Foo Fighters, sadly passed away on March 25, 2022 in Colombia during the band's Latin American tour. At just 50 years old, he was found dead in his hotel room, and the autopsy confirmed that his death was caused by substance intoxication.

Forensic examinations carried out by Forensic Medicine revealed the presence of a lethal combination of substances such as marijuana, benzodiazepines and opioids in Hawkins' system, which abruptly ended the life of the legendary drummer.

How was Josh Freese introduced to the band?

During an exciting streaming event in which Foo Fighters performed various songs in their California studio, the American rock band officially introduced their latest acquisition: the talented drummer Josh Freese. And they did it in a fun and surprising way.

While the five musicians were playing, suddenly, someone unexpected appeared on the scene: Chad Smith, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who was asking for a car to be moved because he couldn't get out. Then, Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee followed, showing his friends his dogs. Finally, the camera panned over to Josh Freese, who was always sitting behind the drums, and asked everyone to play something together.

With this performance full of humor and camaraderie, Foo Fighters made clear their enthusiasm to have Josh Freese as part of the band. Fans are looking forward to seeing how this new era unfolds and how Freese's talent adds to the signature Foo Fighters essence and energy.

Music festivals have become a unique experience for music lovers all over the world. With thousands of people gathering in one place, enjoying music, food and fun, music festivals have become a popular way to spend time around the world. If you're a music fan looking for a place to enjoy some of the best artists in the world, these are the best music festivals you should visit.

Coachella festival

The Coachella Festival takes place every year in California and is one of the most popular music festivals in the United States. With more than 200 artists on its billboard, Coachella is a must-see event for any music lover. From indie bands to huge pop stars, Coachella has something for everyone.

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts

The Glastonbury Festival is one of the most iconic music festivals in the world. It takes place in the UK and has been home to some of the biggest artists in music in recent years. With a wealth of venues and a variety of music genres, Glastonbury Festival is an experience not to be missed.

Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza is one of the most popular music festivals in the United States and takes place in Chicago. With a wide variety of music genres, from rock to electronic music, Lollapalooza is the perfect place to experiment with new music genres.

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe and takes place in Belgium. With a heavy emphasis on electronic music, Tomorrowland has been home to some of the world's biggest DJs. With a plethora of settings and a host of activities for attendees, Tomorrowland is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Rock in Rio

Rock in Rio is one of the largest music festivals in Latin America and takes place in Brazil. With a large number of musical genres, from rock to pop, Rock in Rio is an experience not to be missed. From big international stars to local talents, Rock in Rio has something for everyone.

Ultra Music Festival

The Ultra Music Festival takes place in Miami and is one of the largest music festivals in the United States. With a host of electronic music artists, Ultra Music Festival is the perfect place for fans of electronic music. With a plethora of stages and a host of activities for attendees, Ultra Music Festival is an experience of a lifetime.

Sziget

The Sziget is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe and it takes place in Budapest. With a large number of music genres, from electronic music to rock, the Sziget is an experience not to be missed. With a plethora of activities for attendees, the Sziget is an experience of a lifetime.

Creamfields

Creamfields is one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, with events in countries like the UK, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. The festival was founded in 1998 and has attracted some of the world's most famous DJs including Calvin Harris, Deadmau5 and Tiësto. In addition to music, the festival also features with attractions such as rest areas, play areas and food fairs.

Burning Man

The Burning Man is an arts and music festival held annually in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The festival attracts thousands of people each year, who build their own art structures and participate in a variety of activities, including music, dance, theater and performance art. The festival focuses on creativity, self-sufficiency, and social interaction, and is known for its unique and magical atmosphere.

NOS Alive

NOS Alive is a music festival held annually in Lisbon, Portugal. The festival features a mix of international and local artists, and offers a wide variety of genres, including rock, pop, and electronic music. In addition to music, the festival also has a gastronomic zone and an urban art zone.

These are just some of the best music festivals in the world, each with its own identity and appeal. If you are a music lover, you cannot miss attending at least one of these festivals in your life. From electronic music to rock and pop music, these festivals offer a wide variety of genres to suit all tastes. Furthermore, most of these festivals also offer additional activities and attractions, making them a unique and unforgettable experience.

Music is one of the most popular art forms and has been a part of human culture since time immemorial. Over the years, music has evolved into a wide variety of genres and styles, each with its own sound and message. Even though music has changed a lot over the decades, one thing has remained constant: the way people perceive it.

We often hear people say that the music of the past was better than the music of today. Whether it's classic rock, '70s disco, or '80s pop, there's a common tendency among many listeners to prefer music from decades past over music of today. But why does this happen?

Here are some of the reasons that explain why we have this belief.

Nostalgia

The music we listened to in our youth or at significant moments in our lives can be associated with happy and positive memories, which can increase our preference for that type of music.

Therefore, when we hear a song that reminds us of a special moment in our life, we are likely to perceive it in a more positive light.

It's important to note that music from bygone eras is often associated with significant cultural events and movements, making it more emotionally significant and memorable to the people who lived through it.

Innovation and originality

Music from decades past is often characterized by innovation in terms of experimentation and mixing of different genres. For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, progressive rock and psychedelic rock incorporated elements of classical music, jazz, and folk music, giving rise to new sounds and styles that had never been heard before. In the 1980s, electronic music and hip hop also emerged as new music genres that challenged the popular music conventions of the time.

Advances in music technology and globalization have allowed artists to have access to a wide range of sounds and styles from around the world, leading to a mix of genres and styles that can seem more diluted in terms of originality.

This has led to a greater uniformity in the sound and production of today's music, with the use of technologies such as autotune and the mass production of commercial songs.

Lettering quality

Song lyrics from decades past may have been perceived as having greater depth and meaning than today's songs, which often focus on more superficial and commercial themes. Songs from before often dealt with political, social, and cultural issues, and focused on telling complex, emotional stories that could be interpreted in many different ways.

Oftentimes, early music and its lyrics were more focused on the artist's vocal ability and interpretive ability, while today's music places more emphasis on rhythm and the use of production effects.

Musical style

The music of the previous decades used to be highly influenced by the cultural and social movements that were lived in each era, which resulted in the creation of new musical styles. For example, the music of the 1960s was influenced by the hippie movement and psychedelic rock, while the music of the 1980s was influenced by the new wave movement and punk rock.

Currently, there is a trend towards musical homogenization, where commercial music focuses on following a pre-established formula to ensure its success on the charts. This has led to more repetition of musical styles and structures, which can make today's music sound less original.

Production quality

Music production in previous decades often focused on capturing the musicians' live performance and creating a recording that reflected the energy and emotion of that time. Sound engineers strove to capture the natural sound of the instruments and the acoustics of the space in which the music was recorded, resulting in rawer, more authentic-sounding recordings.

In contrast, today's music production is often focused on creating a seamless, polished recording with an abundance of studio effects and digital techniques. Producers can use audio editing tools to adjust and correct the pitch and timing of vocals and instruments, which can result in a more artificial-sounding, polished recording.

It is important to note that these perceptions are subjective and largely depend on the personal preferences of each individual. What for some people can be a deep and meaningful song, for others it can be a superficial and uninteresting melody.

In summary, taste in music is highly personal and subjective, and there is no objective answer to whether music from before is really "better" than music today.

​Last year Tomorrowland, the biggest music festival in the world, was on everyone's lips. After two years of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it returned stronger than ever.

If you do not know what it is, we will tell you a little about its history. Tomorrowland had its first edition in the distant 2005, specifically on August 11 of that year, thanks to the efforts of the Belgian brothers Manu and Michiel Beers. They had the idea of holding a music festival near the municipality of Boom, in Belgium.

In its beginnings it was very far from what we see today, its settings were humble and there were no mythological and fantastic themes like today. It was not until its third edition that it began to last two days instead of just one.

Scenarios and themes

It wasn't until Tomorrowland 2009 that the tradition of the theme was born and as the editions have passed it has become a core part of the event. The themes that have involved each edition are:

By the year 2022 the festival had a total of 15 simultaneous stages:

• Mainstage
• Freedom
• Mesa Garden
• Harbour House
• Cage
• The Rave Cave
• Rose Garden
• Youphoria
• Leaf
• Kara Savi
• Atmosphere
• Core
• Crystal Garden
• The Library
• Moose Bar

Attendance

For the 2022 edition, all attendance records from previous years were broken, achieving a total of approximately 650,000 people who participated in this music festival.

Around 200 different nationalities congregate in the place, all united by music, which gives us a sample of the power it has to unite people and put aside their differences.

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How to go to Tomorrowland?

The first thing you should know is that the sale of tickets is done in stages and with different prices for each one:

• Top 20
  • Tomorrowland guarantees a ticket for you and up to 3 more friends if you are one of the first 20 in your country to complete the mandatory pre-registration.
• Global Journey
  • Buying your ticket through Global Journey is the easiest way to buy your ticket to go to Tomorrowland. Global Journey are travel packages that the festival sells from various cities around the world with the bus, train or plane ticket included and they take care of taking you to Tomorrowland.
• Belgian Sale
  • Although this sale is only for Belgian nationals, it's still an opportunity if for some reason you have a Belgian friend who also thinks of attending.
• Presale
  • At this sales stage, tickets are cheaper, but also limited. Since 2020, a faster sales system has been implemented that verifies all connected accounts 90 seconds before, penalizes those who have several tabs open in the same browser, and places you in a virtual queue.
• General sale
  • As in the pre-sale, what you must do is enter the store at least 2 minutes before to verify your account and you also have only 7 minutes to complete the purchase.

The prices vary a lot, since there are single day passes from 110 euros (around 2,300MXN) to the Full Madness pass that allows you to enter a whole weekend for an amount of up to 535 euros (around 11,200MXN), these passes do not include lodging.

The festival informs at the end of the year when the event will take place and the dates on which you can pre-register and purchase tickets, generally between the months of February to May.

Where to stay for Tomorrowland?

There are several options to stay in Boom, Belgium for the Tomorrowland festival. The festival itself has a space for all those people who want to camp near the festival, of course for an extra price at the entrance.

This space created by the organizers is called Dreamville, where up to 40,000 people stay per day and has an extension of more than 2 kilometers. You can find different accommodation options:

• Magnificent greens, festival access and camping at Dreamville
• Magnificent greens 1P Tent gives you access to the festival and they give you a tent to pitch.
• Easy Tent gives access to the festival in a more exclusive area where your tent is already set up, ready for use and on pallets.
• Dream Lodge gives access to the festival and a small cabin for two people.
• Cabin gives you access to the festival and a much larger cabin with electrical hookups and all the amenities.
• Theme Hotels, also give access to the festival and are located in the downtown area of Brussels.

If you are interested in spending less then you can find hotels or accommodation in:

• The city of Boom though is very difficult due to high demand during the festival dates.
• Near cities:
  • Antwerp, 17km away.
  • Mechelen, 14km away.
  • Brussels, 20km away.

During COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world for the past few years, the Tomorrowland festival had to be cancelled, which was a huge financial hit for the organizers.

Seeking to lessen the negative impact, in 2020 and 2021 they decided to hold a virtual version of the event with DJs such as David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Amelie Lens. In order to simulate the real atmosphere in a digital environment, they filmed new sets on 6x8x8 meter green screens, in four different locations: Sao Paulo, Sydney, Los Angeles and Boom itself. They also created the immersive virtual world called Pāpiliōnem, which users could explore from their computers.

One of the big technical challenges was translating the green screen footage into a mobile virtual world at scale, where six 4K cameras could be combined with 38 virtual cameras to get wide shots of the 280,000 virtual festival goers, all Camera and lens parameters were transmitted live to servers that recorded the data and generated a low-resolution version of the virtual world, for use by camera operators and directors. Along with the technical setup, the artist's lighting changed depending on the location of the virtual stage and the time of day during the broadcast.

Fortunately, more than 1 million viewers watched the festival virtually in 2020, which indicates that all the effort made was a success.

Aftermovie Tomorrowland

A couple of weeks after the event ends, the organization publishes a video with the most representative moments of the festival, this is known as an aftermovie. Since 2005 to date, this video has been made so that everyone can see the experience of being in Tomorrowland.

As time has passed, the production of aftermovies has improved, also serving as a publicity piece and attracting even more people to the event.

Controversies in Tomorrowland

One of the strongest controversies that took place in Tomorrowland was during the 2018 edition. The singer Bad Bunny took the stage during the presentation of the Swedish DJ Alesso to sing I like it, the song he produced with Cardi B and J Balvin. No more than a few minutes passed and the claims on social networks were noted, criticizing the singer, the DJ and the organization since they did not understand the presence of the famous reggaeton artist on stage.

This is not the first time that reggaeton has played in Tomorrowland, in 2016 the Belgians Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike put a song by Daddy Yankee in the middle of their presentation. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike surprised those attending the festival in the city of Boom, in the north of Belgium, by presenting their version of "Gasolina".

And in 2019 Daddy Yankee played again, now with Natti Natasha with the song "Instagram", which was performed by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike themselves, now in collaboration with David Guetta, Daddy Yankee, Afro Bros and Natti Natasha.

Also present when playing the song were the song's collaborators, David Guetta and Afro Bros.

Now you know a little more about the biggest and most spectacular music festival in the world, Tomorrowland. Would you like to go and live the experience of this event? Have you been to Tomorrowland yet?

Share your experiences in the comments.

​Humans live with music at all hours, it is an art that makes us enjoy pleasant times, stimulates our memories and emotions, so it is easy to understand that when we listen to music our brain activates in different ways.

Before, it was believed that listening to music only helped the creative process and the logical approach, but today it is a fact known to everyone that music allows us to enter a state of mind that helps us improve learning.

There are studies that refute the classical belief that the two hemispheres of the brain work differently, if not the opposite, they would work together, so music would support both hemispheres to improve neural connection.

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Listening to music activates the activity of the hormone called dopamine, which helps in synaptic connections, whose objective is learning, assimilation of knowledge and memorization. But not every theme or style of music will have the same effect on every brain. There are many studies that affirm that to improve performance, alpha waves must be activated, which are the ones that relax the human brain.

Benefits of music to concentrate

• Activate emotions
  • Music can generate pleasant sensations that, when associated with pleasure, help to enhance memory and recall.
• Vocabulary expansion
  • It helps to improve our language, since by listening to music we continually develop a more complete vocabulary thanks to the fact that we promote neural connections.
• Physical resistance
  • Helps increase physical stamina by up to 15%.
• Increase the imagination
  • Boosts the creative area of the brain.
• Improves the cardiovascular system
  • By listening to music we help our blood circulate better, which leads to an improvement in the cardiovascular system and physical and mental state.

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Music that we should NOT listen to when studying

These musical styles are not good when studying as they can distract you. In the case of music on the radio, the ads and the announcers are the distracting elements, so it is not recommended to use it when we are looking for concentration.

Although these styles of music are not the most appropriate to generate the necessary concentration when studying, they do have other benefits that we can obtain by listening to them.

• Heavy metal, rock and punk rock help lower stress levels and anger, as well as increase physical performance in cardiovascular activities.
• Salsa music produces numerous physical, emotional, and mental benefits, as it relieves stress, increases cardiorespiratory capacity, and improves coordination and balance. Helps release both dopamine and adrenaline.

These are some of the musical styles that you should not listen to when studying:

• Rock
• Heavy metal
• Punk rock
• Pop
• Radio music
• Reggaeton

Music to listen to when studying

When we go to study, it is not recommended to listen to music that has some type of lyrics or that provokes emotions that remind us of events that we have experienced, since it can distract us if we do not have a good management of our emotions.

It is important to have a playlist specially made for the study, in this way we will not have to cut our activity to choose music. Ideally, the duration of our playlist should be around two hours, since at the end of it it will give us time for a break.

The ideal musical styles to study are:

• Clasic
  • Improves memory, attention and concentration capacity
  • Helps concentration and contributes to making the effort more enjoyable.
• New Age
  • Induces changes in the autonomic nervous system similar to those experienced by people when meditating
• Chill out
• Soft Jazz
• Natural sounds
  • The sounds of nature have great power in our body. The sound of the rain and the wind or the tinkling of the water of a flowing river can help us to better concentrate.

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Tips for studying from home

Since we know what type of music will be the ideal to start studying, now we will leave you some tips to make your study time even more effective:

• Plan your week to study based on small goals, so on exam dates it will be less burdensome
• Have an adequate study space, that is, a large table, comfortable chair and good lighting
• Study for continuous periods of between 30 to 45 minutes, in this way you alternate study and rest in a balanced way
• Avoid distractions, so put your cell phone aside
• Choose the study method that best suits your skills, be it transcribing, underlining, summarizing, outlining, or concept mapping. Recording yourself reading to listen to it, reciting the agenda aloud or explaining it to another person can also help us.
• And most importantly, choose a good playlist to focus.

What music do you listen to when you study? Do you like our tips to make studying more effective? Leave your opinion in the comments.