TONY TRAGUARDO & 'WORD OF MOUTH' TAKE
POPULAR MUSIC & POP CULTURE SERIOUSLY!
(While still managing to make it FUN!)
Single and Multi-Session Music/Pop Culture Programs by Tony Traguardo

Click To View Our Multi Session Programs
Contact Tony Traguardo at [email protected] for bookings.

The presentations offered by Word of Mouth Studios provide unique insight into some of the musical styles and genres that have been popular in the United States and abroad since the late 1950s.

While some of the programs focus on such 'superstar' acts as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, others will expose audiences to some of the less-celebrated artists, songs and albums that have profoundly affected the music industry. Since all of the music programs are multimedia in nature, audiences will often get to see and hear unique performances that may not be available ... or that they may simply have never been inclined to seek out ... on the Internet.

Note that some of the events are 'one-off' sessions, while others can be customized and offered as either single- or multi-session lecture presentations.

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​Currently, Tony's Traguardo's most popular music-related single session programs include:
(Click here to view multi-session classes that are available.)

​Old Friends: The Simon & Garfunkel Story -This unique multi-media program, originally conceived and co-produced with the  late Pete Fornatale, tells the story of two kids from Queens who started their professional career together as Tom and Jerry. We'll go from the beginning to the present day with a fascinating look at the voices and songs that still delight listeners nearly 60 years after their recorded debut. 

'The Road to Woodstock': Back to the Garden! - Tony Traguardo traces the history of the 'Woodstock Music and Arts Fair' in a program that features behind the scenes stories and rare footage from the event. The media and public reactions to this historic gathering are also highlighted.

This Here Song Is A Story About…  -  A looks at some classic songs from the 50s through the 70s whose lyrics were based on true stories and real people. John Lennon and Carly Simon are among many musical artists who have created works that are autobiographical, while Bob Dylan, Deep Purple and Gordon Lightfoot are a few of the songwriters who were affected enough by true events to write about them. In this multimedia program, Mr. Traguardo will reveal the fascinating stories behind some of popular music’s greatest story songs.  

The Literature of Rock - A close look at the music made by some of the most popular artists of the 1950s through the current day reveals many songs and albums that were based on classic literature, sacred texts, and poetry. Music historian We'll closely examine some of these songs, the written works that inspired them, and the artists who set these literary words, poetry and concepts to music.  

Rocking the Courtroom: Pop Music's Greatest Lawsuits -  In this multimedia program you will hear the stories behind some of popular music’s most fascinating lawsuits. Did John Lennon and George Harrison lift parts from other people’s songs? Can an artist actually be sued for stealing from himself? How did Frank Zappa and John Denver end up at the same Senate hearing? And how do we know who we’re really seeing when we purchase tickets to see some of the most popular groups of the 50s and 60s? All of these questions and more will be answered during this lively program.  

Tony T's Music Trivia Challenge! - Test your knowledge of music from the 1960s to the 1980s. Answer multiple choice questions and take the challenge to 'Name That Tune!', tell us 'Where They Came From,' and much more! There are even fun prizes!

Elton John: Rocket Man Takes Off - The early years of The Rocket Man, Sir Elton John,  are looked at in a high-energy program that focuses on some of his most-remembered songs on the 70s, along with some "forgotten classics."

Billy Joel: Long Island's Own Piano Man - Trace the incredible career of Hicksville’s own Billy Joel, whose music took him from touring Long Island clubs to headlining international stadiums.  ​

“Listen to the Banned”: Censorship in Popular Music - The spirit of early rock and roll resulted in many clashes with the powers-that-be in the government, the church and the many groups that, allegedly, attempted to uphold our mores and guard our innocence. And as rock music continued to grow, so did the challenges leveled against it. This lecture looks at the stories behind some of popular music history's most fascinating bans and other acts of artistic suppression.

Ed Sullivan: Music on the 'Really Big Shew' - Enjoy rarely seen, historic clips from the show that brought all genres of popular music into our living rooms every Sunday night, and learn more about the show's unique and fascinating host, Ed Sullivan.

Album Cover Art: 12 x 12 Masterpieces -  Popular culture has always been reflected in the images that have created the packages surrounding the music of the past fifty-plus years. Take a unique, genre-hopping journey through the best, the worst and the most influential images that have been used on long-playing album covers since the medium came into being in the 1950s. (Available as a 90-minute or two hour session.)

Folk City NYC! - This lecture covers the incredible history of what has lovingly been referred to as 'The Great Folk Music Scare of Early 1960s' by many of the artists who were a part of it. And New York City was the focal point for many of them! This has become very popular as a result of the successful film 'Complete Unknown'. This program has become quite popular since the release of the film 'Complete Unknown'!

Long Island Rocks (aka 'They're From Here!') - An historic evening of music, presented in cooperation with The Long Island Music Hall of Fame.  

The Rolling Stones' First Decade - The high energy Stones of the 60s and 70s make for an amazing evening of music and anecdotes.

Great Lost Rock and Roll of the 60s and 70s - A look at some of the legendary lost and forgotten artists of the 60s and 70s. We'll also discuss some of the great books and online resources that can help you to further explore this unique area of popular music. 

'One Hit Wonders!' Stories Behind the Artists and Groups Who Could Only Do It Once - They came. They played. They conquered. They disappeared! Since publications began calculating lists of the most popular songs of every week for their music charts, one phenomenon has continually made an occasional appearance: the ‘One Hit Wonder’. These are the artists and groups who have been fortunate enough to conquer those charts with a major hit record on only one occasion. Who are these artists, and why was this their fate? In this multimedia program musicologist Hear the stories of some of rock and pop music’s most interesting 'One Hit Wonders' of the past 60 years.

Paul McCartney - Beyond the Beatles -  He is one of the most successful songwriters of the 20th century, and he has continued to write and record great music well into the 21st. Paul McCartney rose to international fame as a member of The Beatles, the most successful musical group of all time. Following the break-up of the Beatles, his work as both a ‘solo artist’ and as a member of his group Wings has led McCartney on an incredible musical journey.  

The Greatest Record Producers of the Popular Music Era (pt. 1) -  A great song is a great song. But there is a reason why the greatest songs by groups and artists like The Beatles, The Four Seasons, The Ronettes, The Bee Gees, and the other highly successful groups and artists in pop music history sound so ‘perfect’; the record producers. Musicologist and archivist Tony Traguardo offers a multimedia look at the talented producers who have helped artists to turn great songs into the recordings that we know and love.  

The Greatest Record Producers of the Popular Music Era (pt. 2) - In this multimedia program, musicologist and archivist Tony Traguardo continues his close look at the unique ‘studio wizards’ who turned great songs into greater records during the 1960s and 1970s. These record producers have helped artists such as Elton John, Carole King, The Mamas and Papas, and The Who create the singles and albums that made them household names. Others were responsible for popularizing newly-created genres of popular music. This program will surely shed new light on the development of songs and records that you know and love.  

John Lennon - Beyond the Beatles -  In this multimedia presentation, noted Beatles historian Tony Traguardo looks at the life and music of John Lennon. The timeline picks up in 1966 when Lennon began to pursue life outside of his musical group, the Beatles by agreeing to appear in a film being directed by his friend Richard Lester. The Beatles remained together for nearly four more years, during which Lennon and his future wife, artist Yoko Ono would create a series of avant-garde recordings. Following the group's break-up, Lennon would launch his own unique musical career; one fraught with artistic and commercial highs and lows, culminating in a comeback that was cut short by his untimely death in 1980.     

The Beatles: MopTops No More - This program chronicles the Beatles' transition from the lovable 'moptops' of the early 1960s to the creative, outspoken, highly influential studio-based musicians that introduced us to 'Sgt. Pepper'.   The Beatles in Australia - Follows the Fab Four during the incredible Australian leg of the 1964 world tour. Rare and amazing footage is included.

'Hey Hey They're the Monkees' - This program reveals the true story of Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork & Davy Jones, four young men hired to star in a TV series who ended up creating pop music hits that have endured for over 50 years.

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black on TV - An evening that highlights Cash's exceptional TV program.  

Tunes on the Tube - Years before MTV, our televisions were continuously filled with images of musical groups and artists performing the popular songs of the day.  Take a nostalgic look back at the major TV musical events and the weekly and daily programs like ‘Shindig!’, ‘Shivaree’ and ‘Where The Action Is’ that brought the sounds of the times into our living rooms. 

Also available: 'Is There Music on the Moon?', 'The Beatles 500 Reels', and more ...​