Cathy Cassinos-Carr

My love and admiration for legendary Texas blues/rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and his powerhouse rhythm section, Double Trouble (drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon, interviewed for this article) drove my interest in pursuing this article, which examines the crucial importance of the rhythm section to any band's success. Article is written for middle- and high-school students (MUSIC ALIVE! is a classroom magazine).

As co-author of the educational reference book "Exploring the Blues," I contributed "Birth of the Blues," a brief overview of the history and evolution of the blues. Publisher: Cherry Lane Music Company; distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Music is my first love and my greatest passion, both personally and as a journalist. Landing this interview with Paul McCartney for MUSIC ALIVE!, the classroom magazine for middle- and high-school students for which I served as editor-in-chief for 8 years, was a peak moment on every level.

In the "year of the vaccine," this article for Sacramento magazine served to remind readers that good health begins with a strong immune system.

Scott Newton, music photographer of Austin City Limits fame, shares his career journey in this fun feature. What a life he's had!

Still haunted by regret many years after my mother's death, this article combines a deeply personal look at my own struggle with grief and interviews with psychologists and other bereavement experts.

Interviewing songwriting heavyweight Burt Bacharach made me nervous--even after 30 years as a journalist. What an honor.

After seeing guitarist Jimmy Pailer tear it up one night at a club in Sacramento, I was compelled to write about him. And did.

Profile of NY Times best-selling author John Lescroart, known for his series of legal and crime thrillers featuring the characters Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wyatt Hunt.

Short profile on Larry Lunetta, veteran trumpeter of Sacramento's Music Circus and sideman to everyone from Lady Gaga to Count Basie.

Short profile of pianist/guitarist/singer Todd Morgan, a rising star on the Sacramento music scene.

Short profile of 19-year-old blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Zach Waters, who is already living the dream, sharing the stage with such heavyweights as blues veterans Tommy Castro and Chris Cain.

The Dollar-Wise Gourmet was a monthly column I wrote for Sacramento magazine for 6 years. Before the column met its demise due to a change in editorial vision, it was nominated for a MAGGIE award by the Western Publishing Association.

As Sacramento magazine's health writer, I covered a huge range of topics - from cancer to cholesterol, diabetes to dental care. In this article, I examine the very real dangers of energy drinks.

As a journalist who also has a master's degree in counseling, I have a particularly strong interest in the topic of mental health, as evidenced by this article on teen depression.