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Soundcheck

Thursday, October 12, 2006
  • Ed Harris in Copying Beethoven (Myriad Pictures)
    Ed Harris in Copying Beethoven (Myriad Pictures)

    Playing Beethoven

    Actor Ed Harris talks about his role in the upcoming film "Copying Beethoven," in which he unleashes his trademark intensity in playing the ailing, deaf, and defiantly productive musical genius. Also: the bare-footed Brazilian singer and guitarist Badi Assad, performs live. And: Rock songs that boost SAT test scores.

Rock the SAT

The SAT is October 14 and there's still time to cram. We talk to the authors of a new book that features 13 rock songs guaranteed to help test-takers rock the SAT.

Rock the SAT is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Badi Assad, Brazilian Guitarist

Tom Jobim once said that Brazilians are born with a guitar in their arms. Badi Assad was born to a family the nurtured music and arts of all kinds: she is a musician, dancer and composer, who started playing guitar when she was 14. Her latest album includes unusual covers of songs by Bjork, the Eurythmics and U2. She performs live.

Badi Assad website

Badi Asaad at Amazon.com

Playing Beethoven

Ed Harris, the actor who took on astronaut John Glenn and artist Jackson Pollack, is starring as Ludwig Von Beethoven in an upcoming film called Copying Beethoven. He shares how he captures the spirit and the music of the tortured genius.

Introducing our Video Contest

Soundcheck

John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.

In Studio: Angel Deradoorian

Soundcheck

The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.

Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico

Soundcheck

Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.

In Studio: Stephanie McKay

Soundcheck

The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.

In Studio: The Decemberists

The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.

Sound Off

Soundcheck

Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.