Classical Music with Matt Jackfert Story Archives - Page 2 of 8

Radiolab's Abumrad Talks Music Composition, Production, and Virtual Seminar 'Gut Churn'

Jad Abumrad is the host of WNYC’s radio show and podcast Radiolab, but he does a lot more than just host. He’s a producer, music composer, and has guided the show along for decades as one of its founders. Abumrad actually started out studying music at Oberlin to achieve his childhood dream of being a film composer. When that didn’t pan out the way he wanted to, he jumped into radio as it was a way to weave both words and sound into one art form.

The skills he learned in composition weren’t a waste at all; in fact, he used them to weave together a tapestry of music, sound effects, and dialogue in his radio shows and podcasts. Abumrad claims, “Telling a radio story, making a radio story is an act of compositon. And that actually the film composer I always wanted to be is actually a radio-maker…using journalism as my instrument.”

“I’ve begun to think of my job as a composer in a much more liberal way.” He sees music composition as giving order to sound, and so, in the same way in his radio shows, he gives order not just to sound but to dialogue, thoughts, and ideas. “I’ve begun to see my job as a music composer and my job as a storymaker as kind of the same job, you know, because you’re just composing relationships…You’re just giving order to things.” Of course, that is apparent in all of the work of the Peabody-award-winning and MacArthur Fellow radio host and producer.

Abumrad will be giving a virtual seminar called “Gut Churn” on Wednesday Sept. 16th at 7:30 PM for the WVU College of Creative Arts in collaboration with the WVU Reed College of Media and WVU Career Services about the role of negative emotions in the creative process. More here: https://ccarts.wvu.edu/pandemic-proof-artist-series

Check out the full interview here:

Classical Check-in: A Chat with Host Frank Stowers

In these strange times, you may have been missing a familiar voice on the air–the voice of long-time Classical host, Frank Stowers. Frank has been asked to stay at home by our management here at WVPB in order to keep healthy during the Covid-19 pandemic. We wanted to check in on him and see how he and his wife, Emita, were doing, so Matt Jackfert called him and had a conversation with him.

“It really feels strange to be sitting at home listening to you folks, when I’m so accustomed to being there in the control room broadcasting myself, and I really miss being there, Matt, and all you good folks,” said the award-winning Classical host, Frank.

Take a listen below to the full chat between Matt and Frank.

Lindsey Goodman Releases "Etereo" and Performs In-studio

WVSO Flutist, WVSU flute teacher, and new music advocate Lindsey Goodman has just released her third album this past week. Featuring all sorts of living composers, this CD stretches the boundaries of solo flute music as well as music for flute and electronics. The album starts off with the jazzy “Bleuz” by Josh Oxford, which at times reminds one of the flute singing by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. It moves through more stunning solo flute pieces until it hits flute and electronic piece “Butterfly Within” by Mara Helmuth. Goodman switch-hits on the Alto Flute during the third movement of Alla Elena Cohen’s “Three Duos for Alto Flute and Cello”. And finally, her Leviathan Trio makes an appearance in the final track “Flight 710 to Cabo San Lucas” with Hannah Presley on cello and Joseph Dangerfield on piano.

Contents of the new “Etereo” CD by the Navona imprint from Parma Recordings

Goodman shared the album on the air with us while performing some selections live. She championed her passion for electronic music saying that if technology is an everyday part of her life, it should be an everyday part of her music. Having said that, she still understood the importance of solo flute music. She performed Oxford’s “Bleuz” and Bruce Babcock’s “Soliloquy” live on the air, following discussions of each work.

Take a listen below to the interview and performance by Goodman in our WVPB studios. Then check out her album on Spotify and purchase it here.

Lindsey Goodman and Matt Jackfert posing with the new CD

Walter DeBarr: Making Waves Across Appalachia and In-studio

Singer-songwriter Walter DeBarr is using his unique voice and turbulent past to create and spread a heartfelt message across Appalachia. Growing up a black man in mostly-white Buchannon, WV, DeBarr had it tough among his peers. “I got beat up alot and kids would mess with me. Kids who didn’t understand.”

Now, DeBarr draws upon these experiences to write his songs. “Nearly all of the music stems from my growing up… just from being different from all the other kids I grew up with… simply for being who I was.” He had an epiphany which turned that negative energy into something positive. “I realized, man, it doesn’t matter–none of that matters. What matters is what’s in your chest, and what sort of moral compass you carry.”

Walter DeBarr singing his song “Hurts so Good” in our studios

DeBarr chooses his lyrics by remembering how he grew up with the hopes that other people don’t feel so isolated. “We all struggle everyday with something, and I just genuinely want people to know they’re not alone.” For instance, his song, “Hurts so Good,” is about coming to terms with the necessary growing pains of getting older. “I just want to be a kid forever, but… we gotta grow up.”

Lyrics and music seem to flow through him easily. He’s written over 60 songs in just a few years without even knowing much music theory. “I don’t even know the names of all the chords,” DeBarr joked. But theory doesn’t matter when you can make beautiful songs. He’s made so many that he’s recorded and released his first EP We Fall, We Break with Greg McGowen at Rose City Recordings. It can be bought on most major platforms online.

Take a listen to our interview with DeBarr, where he performs two songs, “Hurts so Good,” and “These Hands, These Eyes”. Then check out his website walterdebarrmusic.com.

Listen: The Appalachian Children's Chorus on WVPB

The choir director of the Appalachian Children’s Chorus has some heartwarming goals for her choir and for their upcoming concert this December. Artistic and Founding director Selina Midkiff says, “One of the things I want to do in my space is to create, first of all, a safe place for children–they are safe here. And then I want us to spread the joy and spread that feeling wherever we go.” Mrs. Midkiff says that these goals are accomplished not necessarily because of her but because of the atmosphere the children create. “Its been decades of these children building this environment.”

They have an upcoming concert exploring these ideas called “Peace, Joy, and Harmony” on December 8th at 4 PM at Charleston Baptist Temple. They’ll be singing beautiful selections such as “See Amid the Winter’s Snow” and fun songs like “Joy in Jerusalem”. Tickets are still available on their website.

A behind the scenes look at the ACC on WVPB

They also recently came to our studios here at WVPB to sing for us and talk to us about what they do to help gear us up for the holiday season. Mrs. Midkiff walked us through several great pieces and we got to hear from a couple of choristers about their experience in the Appalachian Children’s Chorus. Click the player below to check out the segment.

Joel Cummins of Umphrey's McGee Talks New Woodlands Festival, Piano Workouts & Debussy

“It’s a place that’s kind of our second home at this point.” That’s what pianist Joel Cummins says about Charleston, SC, the location of a new music festival, the Woodlands Festival. The event is being put together by Joel’s band, Umphrey’s McGee themselves, for its inagural run this November 7th, 8th and 9th. He says the location looks to be on a beautiful 6000-acre nature preserve, and, says talent will abound with a lineup that has the likes of Big Something, The Empire Strikes Brass, Zach Deputy, and of course, Umphrey’s McGee. You can still find tickets, including single-day passes here.

Joel is clearly passionate about Charleston and the Woodlands festival as you’ll hear in the interview. He also discusses his love of Claude Debussy piano pieces (as well as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin), which he often features on his solo piano shows. “I think it’s just so important to pass that on to listeners,” he says. Joel also discusses how Impressionist music like Debussy’s that fits into the what the Umphrey’s sound is. Umphrey’s even quotes Mozart and Grieg in their songs “Der Bluten Kat” and “Thin Air” respectively as discussed below.

Joel also talks about his new book, The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career, which is about… a realist’s guide to a successful music career. It features discussions with some of the greats of music: Huey Lewis, Susan Tedeschi, Victor Wooten, Ivan Neville, Taylor Hicks, Chuck Leavell (music director for the Rolling Stones), and more. You can purchase a copy online here. He’s also a pretty cool guy, so check out the interview below…