Feb 28 Watch 8:11 How the Dallas Street Choir grants homeless residents a voice By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The mantra of the Dallas Street Choir is “homeless, not voiceless.” Some 2,000 singers have passed through the group in the last five years, seeking support, artistic expression and community as they contend with life on the streets. The organization… Continue watching
Feb 14 Watch 7:20 This 20-year-old British cellist has sparked a global music phenomenon By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport It’s being called the “Sheku effect” -- the rise of young people in the United Kingdom signing up for classical music lessons to play the cello. Sheku Kannah-Mason is a 20-year-old acclaimed musician who performed at the royal wedding of… Continue watching
Feb 07 How music amplifies the drama in these two Oscar-nominated movies By Michael Slowik, The Conversation Whether warmly classical or bleakly meditative, film scores can be the unsung heroes behind the viewer’s experience. Continue reading
Jan 26 Watch 7:26 How a lost recording became a Philadelphia soul classic By Christopher Booker Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios recorded more than 200 gold and platinum records before closing its doors in 2003, eventually donating 7,000 tapes to Drexel University, including recordings by Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Gladys Knight and hundreds of other unknown artists. Continue watching
Jan 26 Watch 9:06 Shemekia Copeland: a new-generation 'Queen of the Blues' By Tom Casciato, Connie Kargbo For some, 40-year-old vocalist Shemekia Copeland might seem out of step with a generation more in tune with hip-hop than the blues. But since her first Grammy nomination at the age of 21, Copeland has been working to push the… Continue watching
Jan 17 Watch 6:07 How a revitalized recording studio is bringing Georgia's Macon into the spotlight By Jeffrey Brown, Rhana Natour Many a masterpiece has been recorded at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. Otis Redding’s manager, Phil Walden, co-founded the label, and Capricorn went on to produce a decade of southern rock hits. But as the music industry changed, Capricorn… Continue watching
Jan 12 Watch 9:17 Vocalist Buika fuses genres to form unique musical style By Tom Casciato, Sam Weber, Connie Kargbo Since her debut solo album in 2005, singer-songwriter Buika has built her career by defying musical genres. The Latin Grammy-winning vocalist infuses flamenco, jazz, soul, blues and Spanish folk into her music, and sings in multiple languages, including her native… Continue watching
Dec 29 Watch 10:16 Making NewsHour Weekend: Tuning into bigger conversations through music By PBS NewsHour This year, NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker and Tom Casciato reported on the notion of masculinity through the lens of music and also profiled musician Carlos Santana. They join Hari Sreenivasan to discuss their mutual love for music and how it… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 3:05 Mike Love's Brief But Spectacular take on life as a Beach Boy Singer and songwriter Mike Love is best known as one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, whose infectious harmonies and unique California sound first hit the airways nearly 60 years ago, in 1961. Through the ups and downs… Continue watching
Dec 20 Watch 2:54 Songwriting duo Louis York on rediscovering passion for music Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony are a songwriting duo who have spent over a decade creating hits for blockbuster artists such as Mary J. Blige, Bruno Mars and Rihanna. But they yearned to be more than just hired talent for… Continue watching