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Soundcheck / September 20, 2006

Soundcheck

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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  • The Project Room
    The Project Room

    Offbeat Concert Venues, from Silos to Rocking Boats

    Only in New York can you hear jazz inside an old grain silo, opera in a converted shoe factory, and chamber music on a barge in the East River. Today, a look the city's unusual performance spaces, in all their charm and grittiness. Joining us is Suzanne Fiol, the executive & artistic director of the Issue Project Room (the aforementioned converted silo on the shores of the Gowanus Canal), and Frank Oteri, the editor of NewMusicBox.org, the online magazine of the American Music Center. Also on the show: the Russian-born pianist Vladimir Feltsman has embarked on an unusual project to kick off the season: he's playing Mozart's sonatas on a replica of a fortepiano by Anton Walter, Mozart's favorite piano maker. He joins us to demonstrate the sound of the fortepiano alongside that of a modern instrument.

Pavilions of Harmony

New York is home to some of the oddest performance spaces around, from an old WWII rescue boat to a converted grain silo. We look at these spaces in all their grit and charm.
Issue Project Room Web site
New Music Box

Vladimir Feltsman

The restless, Russian-born pianist Vladimir Feltsman is performing Mozart's sonatas on a fortepiano over five concerts this fall. Hear a preview today.
Vladimir Feltsman's Web site
Image of an Anton Walter fortepiano

cab

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.

vote

Your "Democracy Song"

Soundcheck

As we march toward Election Day, Soundcheck wants you to identify a song that captures the spirit of democracy. It might be Woody Guthrie’s populist classic “This Land Is Your Land” or Sly and the Family Stone’s funky hit “Everyday People.” It might even be a current Top 40 hit with mass appeal. Put on your musical thinking cap, get creative, then post your song here.

walmart

Buying Music: A Smackdown Series

Soundcheck

Check out our ongoing series of Soundcheck Smackdown debates on the music marketplace -- and how we shop inside it. Part I: the pros and cons of MySpace. Part II: two documentarians throw down over music at Wal-Mart. Coming up: Part III: iTunes and Part IV: iPod vs. Zune

Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Soundcheck

With minimalist beats and confessional rhymes, the hip-hop duo Atmosphere became the toast of the hip-hop underground after it formed 10 years ago. Now, the group has turned to classic funk and soul, and frontman Slug is still telling captivating stories. They perform in our studio.

Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley

Soundcheck

A two-block stretch of West 28th Street was once the home of American songwriters and music publishers. But buildings in area are now up for sale, and preservationists fear a major development is in the works. We look at the history and future of Tin Pan Alley.

Michael Azerrad

I Am Azerrad ... No, I Am Azerrad!

Soundcheck

Nirvana biographer and indie-rock historian Michael Azerrad writes about musicians for a living. Now, the British band Tubelord (pictured) has written about him -- and the lyrics are a tad scary.

Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile

Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile

Soundcheck

Two major players from the worlds of classical and American roots music have joined forces for an album of new material. They perform in our studio.

Tina Dico

Tina Dico

Soundcheck

Singer-songwriter Tina Dico tops the charts in her native Denmark. She joins us to share songs from her latest full-length album, "Count to Ten," as well as a trilogy of EPs.

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