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background is a sheet of music with a purple overlay. Photo of Stratton on the left and a photo of Richie on the right. Below that in bold, white text is "Entering Music", with "Fridays at 10 am" and a white BTPM Classical logo below that
Entering Music

Hardcore

By Stratton Rawson,
Richie English
Published January 16, 2026 at 10:16 AM EST
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Richie pushes Stratton far outside his comfort zone with "Fix Your Face" by the Dillinger Escape Plan, using it as an entry point into the genre of hardcore. The result is a surprising discussion about musical intensity, expression, and whether Beethoven might be classical music's original hardcore composer.

Entering Music 2026
Stratton Rawson
Stratton Rawson grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York State midway between the Hudson River and the Appalachian Trail in the shadow of some the oldest mountains on earth.
See stories by Stratton Rawson
Richie English
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Richie English has worked extensively as a pianist, teacher, and composer since childhood. He began studying piano at ten years old with Frieda Manes, and within a year was the youngest piano teacher registered with Denton, Cottier & Daniels in state history.
See stories by Richie English
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