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(minwoo/flickr)Who's the Audience for Contemporary Classical?
While some music fans love contemporary classical, others consider it musical spinach, forced on concert audiences before they can enjoy their Brahms. On today's Soundcheck Smackdown, humorist Joe Queenan joins us for a debate on the merits of new music. Also: Afro-Peruvian ensemble Grupo Afroperuano Caracumbe perform live.
Soundcheck Smackdown: When Contemporary Met Classical
Like vegetables stuck into a delicious meal, contemporary classical music is forced on concert audiences before they are allowed to enjoy their Brahms. So says humorist, critic and author Joe Queenan. Today, Queenan and John Berry, Artistic Director with English National Opera, join us for a Soundcheck Smackdown debate on the merits of contemporary music.
Our Blog: John Schaefer dissects the appeal of modern classical music
Weigh in: if you go to an orchestra concert do you enjoy hearing a new piece along with standard repertoire? Do you prefer to see new music in separate programs?
Joe Queenan's article: Admit it, you're as bored as I am
John Berry's article: If This is Torture, Sign Me Up
Grupo Afroperuano Caracumbe
Old-school Dominican bachata and Nuyorican experimental rock meet at the indoor Queens Theatre in the Park for the annual Chase Latino Cultural Festival. The Grupo Afroperuano Caracumbe, which will open the festival, stops by Soundcheck to perform live.
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Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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In Studio: Los Amigos Invisibles
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The Venezuelan funk-rock band "Los Amigos Invisibles" was discovered by David Byrne in a Manhattan record shop. They perform live on Soundcheck.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
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The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
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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.
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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.
