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In conversation with Ron Gallo: honesty over expectation

Ron Gallo never set out to be a musician. In fact, picking up a guitar came without much intention at all. “I can’t say there really was much of a passion to play guitar,” he admits. “I kind of just thought it was a thing I should have.” “I think the thing I was most…
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In conversation with Ricky Byrd: bringing stories of rock ’n’ roll and recovery to RiverJAM Music

Like many musicians of his generation, Ricky Byrd’s relationship with music shifted the moment he watched The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. “There was a lot of music in my house,” Byrd recalled. “My parents were divorced at that point, so we were living with my grandparents, and there was always music playing—but…
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Ricky Byrd, James Maddock, Reagan Richards, and Gordon Brown lead RiverJAM’s next Songs & Stories event

On January 7, 2026, the New Jersey–based nonprofit RiverJAM Music will host its third installment of The Listening Room: Songs & Stories, an intimate evening of live music and personal storytelling. This edition brings together an impressive lineup: Ricky Byrd, James Maddock, Reagan Richards, and Gordon Brown. Similar to their previous installments, the event will…
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In conversation with Winefred RT: songs made of stories

Zoe Bockhorst, or better known as Winefred RT, traces her musical beginnings back to her bedroom. “When people ask me this question,” she began, “I think about being in high school, lying on my bed and listening to The Mountain Goats’ The Sunset Tree. I don’t remember specific moments, just being overtaken by the emotion.”…


