Some audience research suggests that classical music lovers shun modernity, but one of the best-known classical pianists embraced everything the latest electronic media had to offer. Halfway through his creative life, Glenn Gould renounced live performance and declared he would henceforth express himself solely through media. OTM's Senior Producer Arun Rath climbed down from his ivory tower to deliver this appreciation of one of the 20th century's most controversial classical musicians.
Most people - music lovers or not - know the dastardly feeling of getting a tune lodged in your head, and not being able to get it out. Brazilians call such tunes chiclete de ouvido, or "ear chewing gum." Here they're known as "earworms." Brooke offers this rumination on the kinds of ears most likely to be sticky, and the kinds of songs most likely to get stuck. Listen at your own risk
How do you get to Nashville's famed Bluebird Cafe, the launch pad of dozens of country music's biggest stars? If you're Bob Garfield – and you’re trying to make it big in country music in less than 36 hours – "practice, practice" is not an option. Luckily, Bob has chutzpah and a brilliant song just waiting for a record exec to bite. Join Bob as he tries to write the next country music sensation.
During the war, Iraqis were deluged by a variety of American-sponsored broadcasts. On one of the radio stations thought to be backed by the CIA, it was possible to hear a parody of the gangsta-rap hit "Gangsta's Paradise." The M.C., who raps in a combination of English and Arabic, is none other than…the Dictataaaaa.
Would-be down-loaders of music files are now being greeted with messages that they are violating copyright laws. It's the latest tactic in the record industry's campaign against file-sharing. And it comes amidst a changing legal landscape. New York Times reporter Amy Harmon talks with Bob about a recent case in which college students were sued by the Recording Industry Association of America for running on-campus file swapping services.
