In this episode, Christen identifies the musical characteristics that make up Black Spirituals. See how the American Black community has preserved Spirituals, in spite of its obstacles—acknowledging the transformative impact the art form has ma

Spirituals: The Power of Community and Music (Part 1)

Sep 26th, 2022 19m 46s

In this episode, Christen details the history and significance of Negro Spirituals. Come along as we trace the story through Spirituals' grooving rhythms, cleverly written meanings, and emotional testimonies of the Black community—hearing how t

The Birth of Church Music: Purpose, Polyphony, and the Forming of New Art

Dec 30th, 2021 14m 8s

In this episode, Christen Crumpler investigates the relationship between music and religion during the Middle Ages. While the musical stylings were under restrictive guidelines, the music still managed to reach artistic creativity – with its pu

The Birth of Church Music

Dec 30th, 2021 14m 8s

Pirate Radio: Tales from the UK Radio Rebellion

Aug 18th, 2020 34m 51s

When the English government fails to meet the radio needs of its people a group of “pirates” are ready to make their own. Broadcasting from boats, trees, or hidden studios, pirate radio stations would evade the authorities for decades as the in

Chen Yi: Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Confronting Legacies of Imperialism, and Making Asian-American Music

Aug 4th, 2020 37m 12s

In this episode, Ross and Karbo become familiar with Chen Yi, a Chinese-American composer who lived through the tumultuous Cultural Revolution in China – and kept her love of music alive despite it. With complex relationships with both China an

Leon Theremin: Espionage, Stalinism and Sci-fi Sounds

Jul 21st, 2020 39m 35s

In this episode, Karbo and Ross follow Leon Theremin (born Lev Termen) as he invents the Theremin – an instrument most recognizable for its use in sci-fi movies. Theremin navigates the rise and fall of the Soviet Union as soldier, spy, prisoner

Karl Muck: An American Dream, Xenophobia and the Music of the Third Reich

Jul 7th, 2020 39m 12s

In this episode, Ross and Karbo trace the experiences of Karl Muck. A celebrated German conductor who emigrated to Boston struggles against anti-German American elites during the First World War and returns to Germany to support the rise of Ado

Nina Simone and Taking the Politics of Black Culture Seriously

Jun 23rd, 2020 29m 57s

In this episode, Ross and Karbo take a look at Nina Simone’s participation in the ‘politics’ of her time—and not only the Civil Rights or Black Power movements but the broader politics of Black identity in the mid-century. How long until all Am

Calypso: Race, Land, and Politics through Journalistic Music

Jun 8th, 2020 24m 44s

In this episode, Karbo and Ross examine the political messages of Calypso music from Trinidad & Tobago. The popular genre has perhaps the most vivid and explicitly political words of the series. Calypsonians engage in history and identity with

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