December 23, 2003 - MPR’s Chris Roberts interviews musician Odell Brown, who has also struggled all his life with depression. The Richfield resident has created a Christmas CD as a way to work through that depression.
December 24, 2003 - Throughout the first part of December, Minnesota Public Radio has asked listeners to join in the spirit of the season by setting new lyrics to old holiday tunes. The entries were judged and winners have been chosen. In the "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" category, Joe Muldoon of Minneapolis, was one of two winners. Here's a clip from his entry, recorded by the singing group "Dare to Breathe."
December 29, 2003 - It's generally assumed that sports fans rarely attend arts events and vice versa. In Calgary, Alberta, they're trying to disprove that assumption. A group called Artsmart and the Calgary Flames hockey team have joined forces to create a ticket package that combines entertainment on the stage, and on the ice. Observers in the Twin Cities say if it works in Calgary, it could work here. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
December 29, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Chris Julin reports from Duluth, about the Woodland Hills treatment program and the efforts of incorporating ballet to help kids untangle themselves from drugs and crime.
December 30, 2003 - Sculptor Aldo Moroni thinks big. Really big. His latest project sets out to chronicle the development of Western Civilization. He's building --- and rebuilding --- the ancient city of Babylon in his Northeast Minneapolis studio. He'll take it from ancient times up to it's current incarnation in modern day Iraq. Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr reports.
December 31, 2003 - Enhance your engergy. Mortgage rates hit rock bottom. Get your valium online. We're all painfully familiar with these kinds of spammer come-on lines. Rather than stew about spam, a group of independent musicians, the band 15-16 Puzzle, recorded songs based on spam subject lines. MPR's Jon Gordon reports.
January 1, 2004 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on the Minnesota Opera's interpretation of the "The Handmaid's Tale." Not only has Poul Ruders’ modern opera been embraced by audiences and critics alike, it is also timely. Based on Margaret Atwood's novel, the production tells of a world where religion is used to justify political agendas and women are stripped of their rights.
February 3, 2004 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on the state of the indie record store in the age of digital. After years of slumping CD sales and the illegal downloading of songs, the music retail industry is finally embracing the digital age. Online music sales through companies such as Apple Computer, Napster and even Walmart are growing, and several major record labels are converting their music catalogs to digital. Many industry observers say the shift to digital delivery of music spells doom for the independent record store. Yet, the few such stores that remain in the Twin Cities say reports of their impending death may be premature. Roberts interviews various people in the industry, including Steve Pearson, buyer at Electric Fetus; Ryan Cameron, owner of Let it Be Records; Paul Stark, co-founder of Twin/Tone Records; and Chris Wester, managing director of Down in the Valley.
February 6, 2004 - MPR Classical Music host Tom Crann talks with Dale Warland about the song "Walden Revisited" from the CD "Walden Pond" by the Dale Warland Singers being nominated for a Grammy in the Best Choral Performance category.
February 10, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill profiles Ryan Rapsys, a young composer who has turned Duluth-Superior harbor sounds into music. While most people who visit Duluth spend some time sight-seeing on the waterfront, for Rapsys, sounds of the harbor can be just as inspiring as the sights.