Quick—name three female composers! Head scratching, commence. Today: classical pieces composed and performed by women, live in the Soundcheck studio. Plus: a listen to some underage submissions for our "Remix the Rails" contest. And, more music from teenagers: we take a look at 13-year-old internet sensation Rebecca Black.
Rebecca Black's Viral Video
A few weeks ago, Rebecca Black was just another 13 year old California middle schooler. In the last few weeks, she's become an internet sensation with her music video "Friday." Chances are you're one of the 38 million who have viewed the song on YouTube - if not, take a peek below. Slate.com contributor Nina Shen Rastogi joins us to explain the story behind the song - and the subsequent backlash.
Remix the Rails: High School Edition
Our Remix the Rails contest ended last week when we met the composer of our winning entry. But the fun isn't over yet. We learned recently that a group of Bernardsville, N.J., high school students tackled the challenge as part of their music technology course. Their teacher, Stephen Sands, joins us for a sample of the students' work.
In Studio: Angela Blasi, Wendy Warner, Olga Vinokur
Historically, classical music written by the fairer sex hasn’t received much recognition. This is where soprano Angela Blasi comes in, along with her fellow female artists, cellist Wendy Warner and pianist Olga Vinokur. They join us in studio to perform works composed by women.
Playlist: Friday + Olga Vinokur, Wendy Warner, Angela Blasi
Click through to see today's Soundcheck playlist!
Gig Alert: DeVotchKa
DeVotchKa and its Eastern European-inflected rock take over Highline Wednesday night. Download "100 Other Lovers" here.
Live on Soundcheck: Homeboy Sandman
Queens-born hip-hop artist Homeboy Sandman visited the Soundcheck studios recently for a live performance. Check out this video of the emcee's track "The Carpenter."