From Whitney Houston to Fergie, and all the way back to the quartets of the 1800s, it seems like no one sings the U.S. National Anthem in the same way. In this episode we take a look at the 200-plus-year history of The Star Spangled Banner, the turns it has […]
What do My Chemical Romance and Beethoven have in common? The answer: Romanticism. 20 years ago, MCR came out with an icon of emo music – The Black Parade. But the history of this album goes back much further, all the way back to the 1800s. We explore how romanticism […]
How did this cover of a Bob Dylan song by Miriam Makeba and Nina Simone help inspire revolutions? In the 1960s and 70s ‘I Shall Be Released’ became an anthem of the era in both South Africa and the US. What did these musical movements have in common? How did […]
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show caused outcry, but did you know that this isn’t a new phenomenon? Taking a look back at the backlash against disco music and Disco Demolition Night in 1979, we can see a pattern of dance music becoming the sight of political controversy. From jazz […]
For more funk, check out the Independent Lens documentary WE WANT THE FUNK! Watch the full documentary on the PBS YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3RwIXWs Watch the full documentary on the PBS app: https://bit.ly/3YubfVm FOLLOW INDEPENDENT LENS: YouTube @independentlens What happened when American Funk made it’s way to Brazil? The answer is […]
#SoundFieldPBS #IndependentLens #FunkMusic #FunkBasslines What are the ingredients of a funky bass line? The simple, syncopated bass lines of funk have influenced modern music from hip-hop to K-pop but what makes them so funky? Arthur L.A. Buckner gets a lesson from bassist Nik West and talks to funk scholar Rickey […]
Take the 2024 PBS Audience Survey! https://to.pbs.org/2024SurveySF What do DJ’s do? It’s a question that’s plagued the internet for years. Are they just pressing buttons or is there more to it? Linda Diaz explores the history of DJing and DJ culture from radio to music festivals. Linda interviews DJ Jarreau […]
Check out the newest PBS show Otherwords and tell them Sound Field sent you! https://youtu.be/Fap4bdUwelQ Für Elise has become one of the most widely recognizable classical pieces in the world. It has appeared in commercials, movies, and even garbage trucks in Taiwan. So how did it get so popular, and […]
When we think of editing in music, we might think of quantizing lining up rhythm in an R&B song or autotune fixing the vocals of a pop singer. Many people don’t realize that editing exists in classical recordings as well. This episode of Sound Field explores the current debate in […]
Check out American Veteran: https://youtu.be/jp48WoNOF_Y Take the PBS Survey (2023 Edition!): https://to.pbs.org/pbssurvey2023edition Historically Black Colleges and Universities have heavily influenced some of today’s biggest hits. Songs like “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X and “Love Lockdown” by Kanye West wouldn’t sound the same without the catchy, marching band-inspired beats. Arthur […]
