Since January 2005, Music From Other Minds has presented new and unusual music by innovative composers and performers from around the world. Produced weekly for KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco by Charles Amirkhanian and the Other Minds staff, and aired at 8pm every Sunday, Music From Other Minds aims to open up radio listeners to experimental classical work by living and recent composers. We bring you the latest in contemporary music from around the world, and some glimpses into the past, to give a context for today’s music.
Follow this link for information and track listings from programs prior to program 501.
Follow this link for a complete list of works played on MfOM up to program 660
Next: Program 669
OM Festival 25, Preview 1
KALW Broadcast: September 19, 2021
Host: Mark Abramson
Host: Mark Abramson
This time on Music From Other Minds, we’re giving our listeners a preview of all of the artists performing on nights one and two of the 25th Other Minds Festival. Subtitled “Moment’s Notice,” after the tune by John Coltrane, the festival is a celebration of the art of musical improvisation. We’ll present work by Myra Melford, Mark Dresser, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins, William Winant, Jen Shyu, Ben Goldberg, Liberty Ellman, Gerald Cleaver, and William Parker, including a song that features drummer Hamid Drake. We’ll also play a new pre-release track from drummer Tyshawn Sorey and DJ, producer and electronic musician King Britt.
Previous Programs
Program 668: Unseen Rain, Vocal Music of Richard Felciano & Robert Kyr
On the next Music from Other Minds: Unseen Rain, Vocal Works of Richard Felciano and Robert Kyr.
Program 667: Leo Ornstein at 100
On this Music from Other Minds, an archival rebroadcast of Charles Amirkhanian’s 1992 celebration of the 100th birthday of Leo Ornstein. Severo Ornstein, the son of the composer, is in the studio with Amirkhanian to provide commentary, while Leo Ornstein and another near centenarian, Nicolas Slonimsky, are interviewed by phone. The discussion centers on Ornstein’s early history as a wunderkind pianist in the 1910s, and his enormous output of music over nine decades of composing. Slonimsky details a recent revival of Ornstein’s music in his native Russia and Severo talks of his efforts to get Ornstein’s music back into print.
Program 666: Music from Holland
On the next Music from Other Minds, Randall Wong plays works by Dutch Iconoclasts, Louis Andriessen and Willem Breuker.
Program 665: Saying It With Jazz
Examples of artists using the spoken word, chanting, and samples of recorded voice to make their points. Some of what they’re trying to communicate is personal. Some of it is overtly political. Either way, it illustrates the intention of the music they make. With examples from Brooklyn-based trumpeter and composer Jamie Branch and Chicago-based musician and artist Damon Locks. We’ll hear a classic work from 1973 by Sun Ra, and a couple from 2021 by the Sons of Kemet. And we’ll hear improvisations by elder statesman Wadada Leo Smith and the young UK-based drummer Sarathy Korwar.
Program 664: The Kitchen Sink
On the next Music from Other Minds, Liam Herb plays an elective mix of compositions by Hildegard Westerkamp, Philip Corner, Hal Clark, WHITE PEOPLE KILLED THEM (Raven Chacon, John Dieterich, and Marshall Trammell), and more.
At our new time, Sunday at 8pm, only on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco and KALW.org worldwide.
Program 663: New Folk Traditions
On this Music from Other Minds, New Folk Traditions: imaginative modern takes on traditional music, including works by Luciano Berio, Kareem Roustom, Piero Umiliani, Anne-Lise Berntsen, and Gáman. Listen to this program for Randall Wong’s selections of compositions that blend the boundaries between the contemporary and the old fashioned.
Program 662: Hammers & Mallets
In this program, we looked through our music library for percussion and piano compositions by some of the classic composers from the American experimental tradition. We also found some complimentary work from composers from Korea, Japan and France. Harry Partch, Lou Harrison, Steve Reich and Henry Cowell will be featured. We’ll also hear some Balinese Gamelan from Gamelan Semar Pegulingan, and a work composed for Korean instruments by Hyo-Shin Na. We’ll also hear work from Toshi Ichiyanagi, Toru Takemitsu, Luc Ferrari, and Philippe Manoury.
Program 661: Low Tones
On Music from Other Minds’ first-ever Sunday evening show, Liam Herb plays music written for the low end of the sonic spectrum. The program includes works by Alan Hovhannes, Henry Birdsey, Microtub, Sofia Gubaidulina, Anthony Braxton, and more.
Program 660: Composer Submissions 2021
In this program, Randall Wong plays a selection of submissions from composers, producers, and performers around the world. This is Other Minds’ second annual composer submissions program and features works by Moe Staiano, Barney Jones, Christopher Adler, Alan Cronin, J. Raoul Brody, Jasna Veličković, Alden Jenks, Melody Sumner Carnahan, Todd Merrell, John Simon, Edward Shocker, and Joseph Bohigian.
Program 659: Globalization
In this program, we explore how the internet has changed new music being made around the world: music globalization. We’re not making any judgements, just discovering whether it’s possible to hear how musical forms from one place have influenced the music made in other places. We’ll hear a sampling of artists from around the world: Indonesia, Italy, the UK, Egypt, Lebanon, Argentina, India and China.
