riff through

A dozen vocalists riff through Mr. Braxton’s pulsing “Ghost Trance Music” works, while improvising and layering other pieces atop the core material.

With myself and most of my millennial friends putting off procreating for a few more years, I was only exposed to that signature riff through colleagues’ social media posts, showcasing their children singing and dancing in their living rooms.

“You can call me Max, Maxwell, Maximilian, or my personal favorite, Optimax Prime,” he began, and proceeded to riff through a well-rehearsed spiel about the brewery’s history.

Chuck Berry might sing about School Days and Johnny B. Goode, but teens knew that his songs -- from the opening guitar riff through the four-on-the-floor chorus to the florid finale -- were siren calls to cut class and feel good.