That history tends to repeat itself, especially when people don’t learn lessons from the past, is the guiding sentiment for Teresa Pan-Hosley in her work as the president of the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation. This organization is solely dedicated to reconciling the dark history of the Chinese expulsion from Tacoma in 1885. Read More
Music
Quick: name a classical music composer. Chances are, the first names that come up are not women. Now there’s a new database that opens up centuries of women composers, linking their names to stories, performing scores, and recordings Continue Reading Music Moment: The Read More
To borrow from basketball terminology, this is a movie with slam dunk potential that commits too many turnovers. It has good intentions, but indifferent execution. Continue Reading Reeder’s Movie Reviews: ChampionsRead More
You’ve heard so much about the sons of Johann Sebastian Bach, but there were daughters, too. Bach was 23, and his wife Maria Barbara was 24, when the first of their children was born. They named her Catherina Dorothea. CD grew into a singer, and helped out in her father’s music work. Fifteen years passed, her mother died, her father remarried, and finally, CD Bach Read More
LaFarge’s Chopin journey began with an email to the creator of the video game “Frederic: The Resurrection of Music” during the 200th anniversary year of Chopin’s birth. An amateur pianist, she wanted to explore the game’s use of Chopin’s iconic “funeral march.” Of course, like all explorers, she couldn’t stop there. Read More
James DePreist was a gifted communicator whether speaking, writing, or conducting. He is the subject of this “Music Moment” from NWPB Classical. Continue Reading Music Moment: James DePreistRead More
From our very first broadcasts, in December 1922, music has been an important, and popular, part of this station’s programming. Listeners were thrilled to hear music on the new medium of radio, so a partnership quickly developed between the station (then known as KWSC) and the Washington State College School of Music. 100 years on, the collaboration continues. Read More
Dr. Jacqueline Wilson of Yakama Can an instrument suit your personality? Dr. Jacqueline Wilson of Yakama would say so. She believes her personality fits best with a large, low sounding,… Continue Reading Using Her Bassoon To Elevate Indigenous Voices – Read More
Photo of Richard Old recording this episode of Traverse Talks across from Sueann Ramella. When you cross paths with a wild animal, oftentimes you notice it and recognize it by… Continue Reading Tales Of A Weed Worker – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 39 Read More
Do you know a girl who bounces across the lawn, no matter what dress she’s wearing? Jumping, singing, climbing trees? That’s the kind of girl this story is about. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: Rise Up With A Song: The True Read More
Zoe Hana Mikuta recording Traverse Talks in the KTVI Tacoma studios on December 4, 2021. Zoe Hana Mikuta is the young author of the YA science-fiction novel, “Gearbreakers” and its… Continue Read More
You'll hear an interview of Dr. Jaqueline Wilson about her upcoming album featuring new music by Native American Composers, and how her high school band teacher guided her to her music goals. Continue Reading Meet Bassoonist Dr. Jacqueline Wilson (Yakama)Read More
Today marks the 150th birthday of one of England's most revered composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who is also widely beloved beyond Britain. A folksong expert who logged long trips collecting traditional tunes all over the British Isles, Vaughan Williams famously produced gently modal folksong fantasies evoking England's "green and pleasant land." Read More
Four walls of Gallery 110 in Seattle have been transformed with dancing animals displayed within colorful, boxed scenes that jump to life against the otherwise white space.
They are sculptures of human dancers, costumed like animals, the ensemble of Dorothy Anderson Wasserman’s latest exhibit, The Carnival of the Animals. It’s a study of music, dance, theater and visual Read More
Photo of Sara Minkara. Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact… Continue Reading Seeing People Read More
From the first festival held in Munich over 200 years ago, Oktoberfest has spread around the world, even to Northwest Public Broadcasting! If the drinking songs and autumn music you hear on NWPB Classical has you in the mood to attend an Oktoberfest in your area, here are a few festivals happening in October. Read More
Sarah Zabel is focused during the interview with Sueann Ramella. This interview of Traverse Talks was recorded on March 15, 2022 at the Spokane Public Radio station. Sarah Zabel is… Continue Reading Is Your Brain Like A Computer? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 34 – Read More
In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, founder of a local newspaper, The Black Lens, in Spokane, Washington. Sandra Williams shares her life story growing up in the predominantly white Inland Northwest as a Black woman, her work ethic and what she is doing to insure future generations have a place that feels like community in Spokane. Read More
Photo of author Sam Maggs. Book, comic book and video game author Sam Maggs is working to carve a path for minorities in industries traditionally populated by cisgender, heterosexual white… Continue Reading What’s It Like As A Woman In A Man’s Read More
Alithea Binnie, a scholar of mythology, believes in credibility. Then she encounters The Djinn, who spins fanciful and unreliable tales of lost love and palace intrigue. Her independence and his freedom become the themes of the fantasy-romance, Three Thousand Years of Longing. Read More
When evaluating a documentary, you might ask several questions. Does the film have a clear protagonist, or several? Does it have a compelling story and message? Does it have substance and depth? Has the director organized the material in a coherent way? In the case of Alex Pritz’s new movie, The Territory, the answers are a resounding “Yes.” Read More
In a year dominated by cinematic tentpoles, sequels, blockbusters and superheroes, along comes a sweet, unabashedly romantic fairy tale. It’s not loud or brash or cynical. It’s just charming. Continue Reading Reeder’s Movie Reviews: Mrs. Harris Goes to Read More
Photo of disability culture activist Petra Kuppers. Petra Kuppers holds many titles: disability culture activist, community performance artist, disabled woman, academic and writer, among more. She’s written several books, primarily… Continue Reading Read More
The original log book for KFAE. CREDIT: Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries When you come to Northwest Public Broadcasting in 2022, you can do so anytime,… Continue Reading What Was NWPB Playing in 1923?Read More
Eight twenty-somethings gather at a mansion for a “hurricane party.” After some awkward introductions, they begin indulging in drugs and alcohol. With inhibitions fading and the storm now raging, they decide to play “Body Body,” the murder-in-the-dark game. Only in this case, an actual body count ensues. There you have the premise for the new horror-comedy film from Dutch Read More
Photo of Jiemei Lin recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on November 17, 2021. Born in Hangzhou, China, Pullman-based artist Jiemei Lin has made a home and a name for… Continue Reading How Does Art Connect Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 31 Read More
Photo of Chris Matthews recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on April 20, 2022. Chris Matthews, a self-described centrist, spent his lifetime in politics. A speechwriter during the Carter… Continue Reading What’s Read More
Baz Luhrmann has always had a flair for the operatic, sometimes literally so. The Australian writer-director-designer loves to tell stories on a grand scale. The bigger the emotions, the flashier the production values. Romeo and Juliet, Toulouse-Lautrec and the Great Gatsby have all made appearances in his films. Now his spotlight turns to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Read More
Photo of Ann Curry during the recording of Traverse Talks in WSU’s Jackson Hall Studio B on April 4, 2022. The next day, Ann received the Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award… Continue Reading What Does It Mean To Have Integrity As A Journalist? Read More
Photo of Nikkita Oliver during the recording of Traverse Talks inside Washington Hall in Seattle on December 6, 2021. Nikkita Oliver is a Black, queer, Seattle-based creative, community organizer, abolitionist,… Read More
According to the real-life paleontologists, dinosaurs disappeared from Earth 66 million years ago. To judge by the sixth entry in the Jurassic Park franchise, its fresh story ideas have been exhausted as well. The original wonder has waned. Continue Reading Read More
NWPB Classical is proud to present a special re-broadcast of the west coast premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem. The program airs Monday, June 20 at 8:00 pm. Continue Reading Juneteenth Special Program: Damien Read More
Photo of Tabitha Simmons (left) and Kathy Sprague (right) answering questions in two-part harmony at the Northwest Public Broadcasting studio on March 22, 2022. Wives Tabitha Simmons and Kathy Sprague… Continue Reading How Many Lives Does A TabiKat Live? Read More
For the longest time, it just wouldn’t fly. A sequel to Top Gun {1986), one of the highest-grossing movies of its decade. The movie that made the charismatic Tom Cruise box office gold. Even when the sequel finally came to fruition, the pandemic delayed its release by two years. Read More
Photo of Kwabi Amoah-Forson recording Traverse Talks in the KTVI Tacoma studios on December 4, 2021. Peace campaigner and humanitarian, Kwabi Amoah-Forson, journeyed across America asking people what “peace” means… Continue Reading What Does Peace Read More
The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) made its debut fourteen years ago this month, as a glib and charismatic Robert Downey, Jr. established his superhero credentials as Iron Man. That universe has expanded steadily ever since, although in ways that could easily elude the geometrically challenged. Read More
If you’re a devoted fan of Downton Abbey, the global television phenomenon now back on the big screen, that line certainly rings true. Creator and writer Julian Fellowes, director Simon Curtis (the real-life husband of Elizabeth McGovern/Cora Grantham), a superb ensemble cast and composer John Lunn have crafted another period piece drama brimming with intelligence, Read More
Sometimes a filmmaker tells a story so dense, so deliberately ambiguous, so deeply rooted in symbolic imagery that you realize you’re either intrigued by and invested in the narrative or you’re utterly defeated by the process. The memory of Men, a hallucinatory study in toxic masculinity, will linger long after the closing credits. Read More
Robert Eggers has only made three feature-length films so far. Even as a modest body of work, they reveal a wealth of obsession and talent. Continue Reading Reeder’s Movie Reviews: The NorthmanRead More
Twenty-five years ago, Angèle Dubeau had a thriving career as a concert violinist, having studied with the legendary Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School in New York. She had become a popular broadcaster at home in Québec, where she hosted a weekly French-language program on CBC. She already had her Arthur (as she calls her prized Stradivarius violin), but she envisioned Read More
Read On Thursday March 10th, public radio stations around the world, including NWPB, will air Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” in support of Ukraine’s public broadcasting system. The project is… Continue Reading A Read More
Claudio José Brindis de Salas y Garrido. A renowned violinist, born in Cuba in 1852. A contemporary journalist described his playing, and the effect it had on his listeners. “His eyes sparkled. His fingers multiplied…reaching into the deep nerves of the melody…leading a rapt audience to drunken emotion.” Read More
Russia reveres its high arts heritage of classical music and ballet. But Western European and American arts organizations are canceling appearances by performers who have financial or personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including some of Russia's biggest stars. At the same time, some Russian and Russian-born artists have been speaking out against the Read More
Can singing in harmony fix our broken world? If you’ve sung in a chorus, perhaps you’ve felt it can. You’re not alone. Watch this presentation by the award-winning ensemble The King’s Singers, making the case for the choral community’s duty to help heal our fractured societies. It’s from the Chorus America Virtual Conference in 2020. Read More
The holiday season has always been popular for introducing new works, including many perennial favorites. In Italy, the day after Christmas became especially meaningful to composers and impresarios. Continue Reading ‘Tis The Season Of Read More
The holiday season inspires all kinds of thoughts, often having to do with reflection, celebration and renewal. For musicians and concert presenters, this time of year has long served as a period for introducing new works, whether specifically related to the season or not. Classical music offers a wealth of examples. Read More
If you find yourself asking, “Who is Florence Price?” you’re not alone. Which is why that’s the title of a lively new book for and by young readers. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: Who Is Florence Price? Young Musicians Read More
Let’s start with the paradoxes. The latest film from Oscar- and Emmy-winning writer-director Aaron Sorkin boasts several. Its two protagonists don’t look all that much like the historical characters they portray (although Nicole Kidman with red hair comes pretty close). The female lead, a comedy legend, has very few funny lines in the story. And, although the movie has the Read More
Steven Spielberg’s latest picture arrives in theatres with not only the weight of history and expectation, but also the bittersweet memories of his father and the work’s lyricist. Arnold Spielberg, the film’s dedicatee, died in August, 2020, and Stephen Sondheim passed away last month. Read More
For decades, it was almost impossible to hear a piece of music written by Florence Price. Price was a Black, female composer who died in 1953. But a group of New York City middle school students had the opportunity to quite literally write Florence Price's history. Their book, titled Who Is Florence Price?, is now out and available in stores. Read More