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(Ira Monko/flickr)Freedom on the March
Nearly a dozen marching bands will invade Manhattan next week for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Today: a look at the music, culture and tradition of a uniquely American tradition. Later: violinist Anne Akiko Meyers shares her pick for Soundcheck's Noteworthy New York map. And, John Relyea talks about his role in the Metropolitan Opera's production of "La Damnation de Faust." Plus: our CD Picks of the Week.
Psssst: Want to be a guinea pig in a Soundcheck experiment? Click here.
Banding Together
As the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade brings together marching bands from across the U.S. next week, we explore the music and culture surrounding this uniquely American tradition. Joining us is Kristen Laine, a journalist who chronicled a year spent with an elite high school marching band in the book "American Band: Music, Dreams, and Coming of Age in the Heartland." Also with us is Dr. Richard Good, assistant director of bands at Auburn University. He'll lead the Macy’s Great American Marching Band next week.
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on putting the "i" in "Ohio"
"American Band" on Amazon.com
Auburn University Bands online
Noteworthy New York: Anne Akiko Meyers
We are all a product of our environment. But for many artists, the New York City landscape directly affects their creative life. With that in mind, we invited artists to name their favorite cultural spot in the city. You can view them all on the web map Noteworthy New York. Here is a pick from violinist Anne Akiko Meyers: a quiet atrium in mid-town Manhattan. She told Soundcheck producer Brian Wise what is so special about that place.
CD Picks of the Week
Three outstanding new releases, as picked by the Soundcheck staff. Read full descriptions on the Soundcheck blog.
The Clash, "Live At Shea Stadium" (Sony)
--picked by John Schaefer
F***ed Up, "The Chemistry of Common Life" (Matador)
--picked by Joel Meyer
"Gomidas Songs," – Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano / Serouj Kradjian, piano/ Chamber Players of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra / Eudard Topchjan, conductor (Nonesuch)
--picked by Brian Wise
Soundcheck's Noteworthy New York
Read more about this week's CD Picks
John Relyea
Bass-baritone John Relyea is known for embracing meaty physical roles. He joins us to talk about playing Méphistophélès in Robert Lepage's production of "La Damnation de Faust" this month at the Metropolitan Opera.
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Go behind the scenes!
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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Introducing our Video Contest
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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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The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.
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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.
