Monday, October 5, 2009
Last month, another new school year started for students at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, New York. The difference is now they have a brand new, state-of-the-art building in a vibrant neighborhood in Queens. Bob was there for the ribbon cutting and to interview Tony Bennett and his wife about their work in founding and funding New York City’s newest public school.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank is required reading for many junior high and high school student, but most people fail to revisit the work in adulthood. When writer and critic Francine Prose reread Anne Frank’s now-famous diary, she realized that it was the work of a great writer. Her book Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife examines the prose and cultural effects of this young woman’s diary. Then, when Rosanne Cash was 18-years-old, her father gave her a list of essential songs he felt she must hear. Now, Johnny Cash’s daughter performs her takes of those tunes on a new CD titled “The List.”
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Writer Nick Hornby has made a career of writing about the aging issues facing many contemporary men, in his best-selling novels High Fidelity and About A Boy. His latest book, Juliet, Naked, tells the story of a music fan named Duncan, who discovers an unplugged version of one of his favorite albums. In his effort to connect with the record’s now-washed-up creator, Duncan discovers that his girlfriend already has found him, and formed an unlikely friendship with the musician. Then, Hafez Nazeri is the son of singer Shahram Nazeri, who has been named “Iran’s Pavarotti.” In 2007 “The Passion of Rumi” featured the writing of the 13th-century Sufi poet — sung by Shahram, composed by Hafez, and inspired by Western and Iranian music. This fall, Hafez will make history when he becomes the first Iranian headliner to perform at Carnegie Hall. The young Nazeri will discuss his compositions and the power of music to “portray a 7,000 year cultural history.”
Thursday, October 8, 2009
As one reviewer put it, “If you think classical music is boring, you haven’t met Michael Tilson Thomas.” Thomas is doing for classical music what Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts did in the 1950s and 60s. Thomas is music director of the San Francisco Symphony and the host of the PBS program, Keeping Score. The program was created in 2006 to make a general audience “more comfortable” with classical music not only through the music itself, but by giving life to the dead, white guys who created the music. This October, three new episodes are scheduled—Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, Charles Ives’s Holiday Symphony, and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Then, Bob talks with Dave Zirin, host of Edge of Sports Radio, about the MLB playoffs, the NFL season, and college football.
Friday, October 9, 2009
David Broder of The Washington Post joins Bob to talk politics. Next, Danish director Lone Scherfig is best known for her 2000 film Italian For Beginners, which won the Silver Berlin Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Her most recent film, An Education, is based on a memoir by English journalist Lynn Barber and adapted for screen by writer Nick Hornby. This young English girl’s coming-of-age tale won the Audience Choice and Cinematography awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Then, in this week’s installment of our ongoing series This I Believe, Bob talks with executive director Dan Gediman about the essay from Martha Graham. In seven decades as a dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham created 181 ballets. A founder of modern dance, she is known for her collaborations with other leading artists, including composer Aaron Copland. Graham’s company trained dance greats such as Alvin Ailey and Twyla Tharp.