Music & Culture

As a high schooler in Lafayette, Ind., Circuit des Yeux's Haley Fohr was encouraged by Pink Reason's Kevin Failure to pursue music.

Music & Culture

Question Dot GIF: What Hometown Artist Inspired You To Make Music?

9:18am September 10, 2015

by Lars Gotrich

Circuit Des Yeux, White Lung, SubRosa, Obnox, and others sit for GIF portraits during Raleigh, N.C.'s Hopscotch Music Festival, an event that celebrates its homegrown music scene.

New York Philharmonic principal bassoonist Judith LeClair acknowledges applause at a concert at Avery Fisher Hall in New York.

Honk And Purr: The Big Bassoon Puzzler

8:03am September 09, 2015

The principal bassoonist of the New York Philharmonic, Judith LeClair, wonders if you can identify a few significant solos in the history of her instrument.

Sam Smith Follows In Long Line Of Stars To Record James Bond Theme

8:28pm September 08, 2015

Sam Smith has recorded the theme song, called "Writing's on the Wall," for the upcoming James Bond movie. He joins artists such as Adele, Madonna and Tina Turner.

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Music & Culture

Skateboarding Celebrated At Kennedy Center Festival

7:59am September 07, 2015

by Andrew Limbong

The Kennedy Center is famous for its opera, ballet and symphony. Last week, officials opened a temporary skateboarding park for amateur and professionals to do their thing to improvised live music.

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A glimpse of the Hill sisters' work. The handwritten notes to "Good Morning to All" offer singers a guide to the simpler tune.

An Unnoticed 'Happy Birthday' Draft Gives Singers A Simpler Tune

2:57pm September 06, 2015

by Tara Anderson

We all know the words to "Happy Birthday to You" — yet the song's still tough for kids to sing. Now, tucked in the notes of the sisters who wrote it, an easier draft of the song has finally surfaced.

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Everyone knows how to sing "Happy Birthday to You." But performing the song in movies or on TV requires payment of sometimes hefty licensing fees. Now the song is at the heart of a lawsuit.

'Happy Birthday' Hits Sour Notes When It Comes To Song's Free Use

2:53pm September 06, 2015

by NPR Staff

"Happy Birthday to You" is sung everywhere, but because it's copyrighted, it's rarely heard on TV or in movies. A filmmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking to make the song part of the public domain.

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'Wingin' It' Takes Funky On The Road With 'Boz Scaggs

10:12am September 06, 2015

On this week's "Wingin' It," music historian Ashley Kahn shares his favorite road trip song, "Loan Me a Dime," by Boz Scaggs, featuring Duane Allman.

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John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. The band's "Stairway to Heaven" is the subject of a current copyright-infringement lawsuit.

Music & Culture

Inspiration Or Appropriation? Behind Music Copyright Lawsuits

11:38am September 05, 2015

by Allyson McCabe

Rock superstars Led Zeppelin face a claim that "Stairway to Heaven" was lifted from an earlier instrumental by the band Spirit. But what does it take to prove a song's ownership?

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Singer Aretha Franklin has won a temporary injunction to stop a documentary about her live album Amazing Grace from being released. The film was to premiere Friday.

Aretha Franklin Blocks Premiere Of Concert Film 'Amazing Grace'

8:33pm September 04, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A documentary about Franklin's famous 1972 live album Amazing Grace has suffered years of delays due to technical and legal challenges. It was to premiere Friday.

Music & Culture

Carlos Gardel's Tango-Cowboy Legacy Is 'Reborn And Remastered'

1:45pm September 04, 2015

by Milo Miles

The Argentinian tango singer died in a plane crash 80 years ago, but he remains his country's most famous pop star. Critic Milo Miles considers a new introductory collection of Gardel recordings.

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