It’s Electric!
Electrophones, which use electricity to make sound, have changed music! The electrophone instrument family expands the range of musical colors in a composer’s toolkit.
Raise Your Voice!
It’s all about the power and range of the human voice.
Good Vibrations
Idiophones make sound from the vibrations of an instrument’s body. A lot of the time, musicians whack them or shake them rhythmically.
Drumroll Please!
The spotlight is on membranophones! Membranophones make sound from the vibration of a tightly stretched material.
Take a Deep Breath!
Musicians who use the power of air breathe life into the music they play. They create beautiful and ear-catching melodies.
Strings And Things
All around the world, musicians use stringed instruments to make music. The way musicians play these instruments creates beautiful and distinctive sounds.
In Season 3, Meet Your Favorite Instruments (And Their Families!)
We’ll talk about your favorite sounds and the instruments that create them.
Can robots improve care for dementia patients and the elderly?
Robots as caregivers? Meet “Pepper,” a robot that can tell a joke, recognize emotions and help people remember special times in their lives. Professor Arshia Khan of the University of Minnesota Duluth spoke at an Aspen Ideas Health event in June.
Yes You Can! Stories of Empowerment
A well-crafted song can tell a story that makes listeners feel confident, carefree or powerful.
Gone But Not Forgotten
How do musicians tell stories about death and grief?
The Sound of Heartbreak *Sob*
The clever techniques musicians use to share stories of heartache.
An Honest Day’s Work
How musicians use their songs to tell stories about work.
In Season 2 Hear The Stories Of Our Lives
Season 2 explores how musicians help us tell the stories of our lives. The fun begins on Aug. 16!
Finding emotional growth after pandemic trauma
The pandemic has taken a toll on mental health. Many see it as a total disruption of normal life, and there’s a lot of anxiety about what happens next. But what if that post-traumatic stress could be transformed into post-traumatic growth?
Feeling Pretty Bad
Sometimes a musical phrase or a single line of lyrics can unlock those bad feelings we’ve tried to hide. Music can be a powerful way to capture the mood when we feel anxious, chaotic or a little bit numb.
Surprise!
Surprises can be wonderful or shocking, delightful or jarring. And when musicians find clever ways to surprise listeners, things get really interesting.