Commonwealth Speakers:Music


Mensura Berberovic with her students Selma and Sanela Sinanovic. Berberovic's presentation, Sevdalinka: A Musical Tour of Bosnia, explores a ballad form unique to Bosnia.

Through these presentations, you will learn about the musical heritage of the state, the nation and the world. From Duke Ellington to Mario Lanza, from the music of Bosnia to the music of John Coltrane, this category offers many ways to experience and further your understanding of music.

John Coltrane and Miles Davis: Two Musical Approaches
John Coltrane and Miles Davis were born in the same year, 1926. The two men were very different—as people and as musicians—but, they came together and influenced one another in astonishing ways. Their many collaborations in the mid and late 1950s are hailed as some of the greatest musical recordings of all time. This presentation will look at the differences and similarities between the two men. Davis was a musical prodigy; Coltrane, a slower learner. Davis was a materialist; Coltrane, a devoted spiritual seeker. Davis loved popular music and funk; Coltrane had an affinity for esoteric world and avant garde music. In comparing the lives and ideas of these two brilliant musicians, we learn more about each of them. The presentation includes musical examples and excerpts from Steve Rowland's vast collection of historic interviews on the subject.

Steve Rowland, Philadelphia
Radio Producer & Director

Pennsylvania Mountain Voices
The traditional music and song of the Pennsylvania mountains have played a significant role in the history of the Commonwealth—as oral history and as a tool for education and socialization. Drawing on almost 40 years of performing folk music, Bruce Young will present an interactive program of traditional and period music on fiddle, banjo, guitar and dulcimer. Some of the presented material will be drawn from the published works of Henry Shoemaker, a past president of the Pennsylvania Folklore Society. Shoemaker's music evokes a sense of life in 19th century Pennsylvanian lumber camps and mining towns, giving audiences an additional glimpse into that time and place. Audience members will be encouraged to join in on choruses.

Bruce Young, State College
Folk Musician & Dance Caller

The Musical Empire of Duke Ellington
In this presentation, jazz scholar Harrison Ridley will take an historical approach to the music of Duke Ellington. Participants will listen to selected recordings and discuss Ellington's genius as expressed through his big band arrangements, piano style and compositions. Ridley will explain how Ellington's remarkable achievements earned him a reputation not only as a great jazz musician, but also as a great American composer.

Harrison Ridley, Jr., Philadelphia
Musicologist & WRTI Radio Host

Sevdalinka: A Musical Tour of Bosnia
Drawn from Turkish, Greek, Slavic and German traditions, sevdalinka is a ballad form unique to Bosnia. This hauntingly beautiful folk music consists of old songs, but contemporary Bosnians still draw on them. No baby shower, no dating, no wedding, no event is without sevdalinkas. Starting with lullabies, then moving on to children's songs, teenage years, marriage and old age, this program will take participants through the life of a Bosnian—all through folk song. The presentation includes an historical look at how Bosnian women's lives have changed due to Islam, communism, secularism and the recent Bosnian genocide. The recent immigration of thousands of Bosnians to the United States also will be discussed.

Mensura Berberovic, Erie
Folk Musician

The Meteor: The Rise and Fall of Mario Lanza
Some critics consider Mario Lanza's life a journey of tragic dimensions that only Shakespeare could have created. Moylan Mills charts the rise and fall of the young man from South Philadelphia who vowed to become the greatest opera star who ever lived. Seduced by Hollywood, Lanza became an international screen sensation in such films as The Great Caruso and That Midnight Kiss. Although he enjoyed fanatic fan adulation, Lanza burned out and, bitterly disappointed with the direction of his career, died of a heart attack at the early age of 38. Video excerpts will accompany this discussion of the young tenor whom Arturo Toscanini called "the greatest voice of the century."

Moylan Mills, Glenside
Professor Emeritus of Integrative Arts, Penn State University - Abington

Singin' on the Rails
Boomers, Gandy Dancers, Steel Drivers, Greaseballs, Hogheads, Lizard Scorchers, Section Bosses and Road Masters come alive in the songs and stories of the resolute men who built, inhabited, maintained and ran the railroads during the "Age of Steam." Ed McDade will sing and play guitar, banjo, harmonica and rhythm instruments. He will breathe life into the old songs and tall tales of the Irish immigrant and African American work gangs whose hard labor, ingenuity and bravery made the railroads possible. This presentation will be part talk, part drama/comedy and part musical performance. The program includes songs like Pat Works on the Erie, Wreck of Old 97, Cannonball Blues, John Henry, Railroad Bill and stories like Casey Jones, Finnigan to Flannigan and O'Callahan's Solution.

Ed McDade, Port Matilda
Musician

Writing a Blues Song
In this interactive composition session, participants will have the opportunity to explore a uniquely American art form, by trying it out for themselves. Musician Bradley Litwin will discuss and demonstrate some of the essential elements needed to compose a blues song. Participants will be guided in writing exercises to learn the conventions and poetic structures of the form. Litwin will then perform the verses provided by the audience, while providing an improvised accompaniment.

Bradley Litwin, Philadelphia
Musician

Ragtime Jazz and Stride Blues
Guitarist and vocalist Bradley Litwin will explore and demonstrate the origins and historical context of 1920s and 1930s popular blues and jazz music. A particular emphasis will be placed on some of the seminal recording artists of the era, including: Robert Johnson, Blind Arthur Blake, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller and Cab Calloway. Audience participation will be encouraged throughout the performance, with call-and-response, shouts, hand clapping and general carrying on.

Bradley Litwin, Philadelphia
Musician

Brazilian Music and Jazz
Music is Brazil's leading cultural export. Since the introduction of the bossa nova in the late '50s, Brazilian composers and players have received worldwide recognition. Many jazz musicians have made Brazilian-influenced recordings, among them, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Herbie Hancock, Frank Sinatra and Stan Getz. Brazilian music has continued on a highly creative path since the peak of the bossa nova in the mid '60s. Regional songwriters like Caetano Veloso, Hermeto Paschoal and Milton Nascimento are openly admired by jazz greats. And, the newest generation of composers still pay tribute to bossa nova's founding father Antonio Carlos Jobim. This presentation will cover much of the richly diverse and ebullient music that Brazil has to offer. Several well-known songs will be presented in their original Brazilian recordings, accompanied by an English translation of the lyrics.

Flavio Chamis, Pittsburgh
Conductor & Composer

Pennsylvania's Musical Heritage in Song
Pennsylvania has contributed wonderful melodic diversity to America. Presented as a musical history in song, this presentation will reveal a range of influences that make up Pennsylvania's unique musical heritage. Pennsylvania composers like Francis Hopkinson (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), Dominick Argento, Stephen Foster (whose music reflects life during the Civil War), Harry Burleigh (the first arranger of African American spirituals), Samuel Barber and Stephen Sondheim all are integrated in a delightfully educational, thematic song concert. Given by soprano Randi Marrazzo and pianist Laura Ward, this presentation includes spoken narrative and supplemental printed program.

Randi Marrazzo, Philadelphia
Soprano. Adjunct Professor of Voice, Temple University

The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance is a noted period (1920s-1930s) of African American cultural expression. Music historian Harrison Ridley will play recordings from the era that illustrate a musical evolution—such as the innovation of the "stride piano" form—and how the famous gig bands of the period took shape. During a lively discussion, participants also will learn of the history of such world famous theatres as the Cotton Club, Savoy Ballroom and the popular and still active Apollo Theater.

Harrison Ridley, Jr., Philadelphia
Musicologist & WRTI Radio Host

John Coltrane, Religion and the Philadelphia Scene
John Coltrane's musical apprenticeship took place in Philadelphia, where he lived from age 16 to 31 (1942-1958). During this period, Coltrane developed musically alongside of other great Philadelphians, including the Heath Brothers (Jimmy, Percy and Albert), Jimmy Oliver, Jimmy Golden and Reggie Workman. This period of musical development also represented a time of spiritual development. Coltrane's wife, and many of his musical colleagues, were Muslim. But, Coltrane's family was Methodist, and he wrestled with the differences presented by these religions and the different paths to enlightenment they offered. This talk includes musical examples and interview clips as it depicts the Philadelphia jazz scene of the '40s and '50s.

Steve Rowland, Philadelphia
Radio Producer & Director

What's So American About Musical Theatre?
How has the musical changed over the last 100 years—from a "frivolous" art form to an integrated genre that combines story and sound? How does the musical engage major American themes, particularly issues of race, sexual expression and individualism? Warren Hoffman will take participants through the history of the American musical and focus not only on how the musical developed, but also why it is such a uniquely American art form. The presentation will include recordings from shows and, when available, clips from productions. Shows to be discussed include Show Boat, Oklahoma!, West Side Story and A Chorus Line.

Warren Hoffman, Philadelphia
Literary Manager & Dramaturg, Philadelphia Theatre Company

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