In our earlier conversation about the term clam, which musicians use to refer to a “missed note” or “musical mistake,” Martha misspoke and said a similar term was used in rowing and sculling. Actually, as many listeners...
Courtney in Anchorage, Alaska, and her teenage son disagree: Should that collection of music be called a mixtape or a mixed tape? The former is far more common, and reflects that linguistic process known as lenition or “softening,” in...
Several years ago, the National Endowment for the Arts devoted a whole issue of its magazine to the topic of “The Art of Failure: The Importance of Risk and Experimentation.” Writers, artists, and musicians all shared their insights...
An elementary music teacher in Cheyenne, Wyoming, reports that on a cold and windy day, one of her three-year-old students declared that she wished they were all on a sandy beach where they could change into their zucchinis. It was clearly a...
If someone says they feel like Pearl at the picnic, they’re content. Vicki Burton named her North Carolina-based band Pearl at the Picnic in honor of her mother’s fondness for the expression. This is part of a complete episode...
Paula in Cheyenne, Wyoming, shares a funny story about a little girl who misunderstood the word hummingbird. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hovering So Close to Understanding” We heard from Paula Egan Wright in...