December 19, 2016 - Composers Notebook host John Zech highlights composer Wendy Carlos’ musical development for Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange. As in his earlier hit, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick used classical music. This time, however, in keeping with the film's futuristic storyline, the classics were adapted and arranged for Moog synthesizer by Carlos.
December 27, 2017 - MPR News with Tom Weber presents a full program dedicated to James "Cornbread" Harris, Sr. Earlier in 2017, the 90-year-old rock 'n' roll pioneer (also known as Jimmy "Jam" Harris, Jr.'s dad) visited The Current's studios to record an in-studio session with Local Show host Andrea Swensson and MPR News host Tom Weber to kick off their Summer Music Series. Program includes song performances and sharing stories of his life and career.
August 15, 2020 - When a flying saucer circled over Washington, DC, in the classic 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still, it did so to music played on an electronic instrument known as the “Theremin.” On this episode of Composer’s Datebook, a look back at its Russian inventor, Leon Theremin.
December 20, 2023 - Synthesizers are revolutionary instruments, using knobs, buttons, and sliders to make different sound. You can hear them in all sorts of music, from pop to hip-hop. But that wasn’t always the case. APM’s Forever Ago explores the history of these electronic devices.
June 24, 2024 - MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two women local professional DJs, Brittany Wright and YASMEENAH. Companies, sports teams, families, and non-profit leaders hire them to plan music for events and get the party going. The program goes behind the scenes of the DJ world, from the gear they use to the secrets of reading the crowd.
July 19, 2024 - In 1961, a new and difficult work for strings announced the arrival of a composer with a new and difficult name for non-Polish speakers to pronounce…Krzysztof Penderecki. This episode of Composers Datebook looks back at the unique music figure.