About a week ago Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system at more than 11 times the size of Earth, crept closer to the blue planet than it has come since 1963. At its peak on September 20th, the gas giant was plainly visible even to us light-polluted city-dwellers. If you missed it, though, don’t despair – the planet will be close enough to see for another few weeks, with even its four largest moons visible through a strong enough pair of binoculars.

In honor of this event of cosmic proportions, here’s Train performing an acoustic version of their mega-hit Drops of Jupiter. It’s a catchy tune, and we can all learn something from these guys about success in The Biz. Namely, you need three things: a hook, an image, and not a lot of talent. Enjoy.

Thomas Jefferson, the great American statesman, was also a renowned inventor who devised a range of instruments for use around the house. One of these, a revolving book and music stand, allows its user to easily rotate between multiple texts – let’s say, scales and other exercises, a piece for performance, and a lesson in right-hand technique from Rodrigo y Gabriela – much as the most newfangled of smartphones do today.

Castiv, in grand Jeffersonian tradition, has updated this concept for musicians of the 21st century by releasing their handy Guitar Sidekick. The Sidekick clips onto the strings just below the tuning keys and holds a smartphone – online tablature being the sheet music of choice for many guitarists – for easy sight reading. The contraption can be adjusted for comfort, and is spring loaded to accommodate whatever size gadget you happen to have. In addition to tabs, it’s useful for lyrics and even for watching instruction videos.
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