KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

It's a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra This December marks the 70th anniversary of the making of this classic film . Lux Radio Theatre broadcast their own radio adaptation just months after the film's opening, with James Stewart, Donna Reed , and Victor Moore as "Clarence" reprising their roles. Originally aired March 10th, 1947. We'll hear the story of George Bailey , a despairingly frustrated husband, father, and citizen of Bedford Falls. George wanted more than anything under the sun to see the world. The wonderful, exciting world that lay somewhere beyond the limits of his hometown. But George has spent his entire life giving all of himself to the people of Bedford Falls, overwhelmed by family obligations and a sense of civic responsibility. Now, he's come to feel tied down to a job he never had interest in, a life he never wanted to live, and a wish to have never been born. Through the help of an angel , this man, tired of life on Earth, finds out what

Christmas Curiosities from Various Artists This week we'll air a wide weird selection of dusty old, oddball 45s from Christmases of yore. Who could forget " Jingle-o the Brownie " -- oh really, everyone?  Well, we'll also be hearing Spike Jones murdering the classics, a song about a reindeer with measles , several selections from Dick "Two-Ton" Baker , a holiday-drama Dragnet-spoof that reached 13 on the singles charts , and an odd instructional record aimed at babies on what to expect when you're expecting Christmas.

The Story of the Empire Strikes Back from Bantha Music It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space.... Veteran television star Malachi Throne narrates a masterfully adapted , edited, and condensed version of this chapter of the Star Wars saga with  dialogue, sound effects, and John Williams' score from the theatrical release. Narration written by Cheryl Gard-Wornson and E. Jack Kaplan. Produced by Pat Glasser , engineered by Rudolph A. Hill, mastered by Brian Gardner, and released in 1980 on RSO Records.

Charlie Parr from Minneculture Although Charlie Parr calls Duluth home, the legendary Minnesota folk singer rarely lays his head there. He's more often touring, sleeping in his car, and singing at bars, county fairs, and in this " Live from Minnesota " performance, at the historic  Paramount Theatre in Austin, Minnesota. Along the way, we’ll hear Mr. Parr speak about his songwriting process, his technique and instruments of choice, and of life on the road. Concert recorded by Tom Garneau  and p roduced by  Dan Zamzow .

Old Ideas With New Friends  from Joyride Media Leonard Cohen was  well known for the careful attention he gives to his songwriting. Every word the result of a lot of thinking and hard work. That’s one of the many reasons for the deep respect  given to him  by musicians of all stripes. In this one hour  radio special , you’ll hear how Leonard has influenced a new generation of artists such as  Nicole Atkins , Bradford Cox, Madeline Follin and  Brian Oblivion , John Darnielle, Rhett Miller,  AC Newman , amoung others. You’ll also hear a few ideas from  Mr. Cohen  himself.

The Sweetgrass Road by David Kattenburg Industrialized societies have much to learn from the First Nations of the world. In this episode from the Earth Chronicles documentary series, Aboriginal people share their wisdom and perspectives on life and on what it means to be on - and a part of - this earth. Stop and listen  and try to learn to look at the earth as a bible, at the woods as full of spirits, at animals as your brethren, at time as a circular phenomenon...

Stolen Childhoods by Melissa Olson America's attempt to separate Native children from their families didn't end with boarding schools. In the decades after World War II, the U.S. government created the Indian Adoption Project , an effort designed to place Native kids with white parents. In this one-hour documentary, KFAI producer Melissa Olson explores the personal and historical impact of this policy. Her Ojibwe mother, Judy Olson, was raised by a white family as were the mothers of several friends. We will hear and explore how the emotional impact of the Indian Adoption Project — and similar state projects — still  continues  today. Photo by John Other Medicine

An Unlikely Friendship Transforms the Gun Debate from Reckonings In the mid-90’s, Dr. Mark Rosenberg was leading gun violence research at the CDC . Republican Arkansas Congressman Jay Dickey , the NRA’s so-called "point man on the Hill," spearheaded legislation to defund it. Dickey and Rosenberg were on diametrically opposed sides of the gun debate, but fate took a twist. Producer Stephanie Lepp explains how through unexpected experiences, they managed to become friends , create common ground, and are now jointly calling on Congress to restore CDC funding for gun violence research. Their story is a rare source of hope within one of America’s most polarizing issues: guns. A Red State Gun Owner Who's Not so Red from Making Contact We go to Montana, where Making Contact  producer Amy Martin spent some time with a guy that you might think of as the stereotypical American gun owner . Listen closely to this audio portrait, though, and you might find some views that

Barbara Jean from Minneculture Both the rugged and softer side of Minnesota’s North Shore are apparent in Barbara Jean's music . She is a fiddle and banjo player as well as a singer and  accomplished songwriter with accolades from the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour Contest and Big Top Chautauqua. This show was recorded live at the Icehouse in Minneapolis by Alex Proctor . Mixed and Produced by KFAI's Tom Garneau . The Last Revel from Minneculture Blending traditional folk harmonies with rocking' up-tempo bluegrass, The Last Revel is a three-piece band that began playing a weekly gig at a dive bar in southern Minnesota. Their wild performances spread by word of mouth until the bar was at maximum capacity -- and when the dance floor was full, folks danced on tables. This show was produced and recorded by Tom Garneau live at the historic Kato Ballroom in Mankato.

The Halloween Blizzard of '91: A Mix Tape in 6 Songs and 2 Feet of Snow from Minneculture How can you forget that one Halloween in your life which came with two feet of snow? Marylander  Britt Aamodt was studying biology at Gustavus Adolphus College when a record snowstorm blasted its way into her life. She wasn't alone in experiencing the legendary Halloween Blizzard of 1991, a storm that closed schools, shuttered stores and workplaces and left an indelible memory on those who endured it. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson A dark, renowned short story about a nameless little village which shows, in microcosm, how the forces of belligerence, persecution, and vindictiveness are, in mankind, endless and traditional and that their targets are chosen without reason. Jackson was sharply criticized upon its publication in 1948 -- even by her mother: "Dad and I did not care at all for your story in The New Yorker , it does seem, dear, that this gloomy kind of story is

So Far, So Good? from Open Source This is the final episode in a three-part series dwelling on the seemingly inevitable apocalypse, because when you look long enough at all the turbulence of the last century, it becomes kind of a miracle that we made it to this one. Investor / environmentalist  Jeremy Grantham suggests stepping up technological development in order to convert our civilization into something sustainable, harmonious, equal and fair. He only gives us a 50-50 shot of making it to the next century. Activist-turned-novelist  Paul Kingsnorth preaches repair, if not quite retreat: working land, baking bread, unlearning dependencies and relearning skills. He believes the answer to the problem of apocalyptic risk in our society lives somewhere between the technological crusade and moral revolution. We'll also examine solutions for climate change, ending growth, and ask whether there's a technological solution to a spiritual problem in interviews with Ambassador

Jitney: A Conversation with Lou Bellamy and T. Mychael Rambo by Will Wright Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul is one of America's best known African-American playhouses. This month, " Jitney "  -- a play by the great August Wilson -- returns to the Penumbra stage. In this conversation with KFAI's Will Wright , director Lou Bellamy and actor T. Mychael Rambo discuss this American classic, which follows the lives of car service drivers and their struggle to make a living. Filmmaker Sam Pollard on August Wilson from NEA's Art Works Emmy and Peabody Award winning Director Sam Pollard discusses his documentary " August Wilson: The Ground on which I Stand " with Josephine Reed . The film explores the life and legacy of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright   August Wilson -- the man some call America's Shakespeare -- from his roots as a Pittsburgh activist and poet to his indelible mark on Broadway.

Remembering Andrew from WLRN 24 years ago  Hurricane Andrew turned South Florida upside down. In this hour-long documentary , WLRN uses home videos, archival news footage, 911 calls, personal recollections and even a bureaucratic document from the British consul general in Miami to tell the harrowing story. We will follow two residents who were each changed by the storm in their own profound way: Jenny Del Campo, a typical teenager living in southern Dade County and Bryan Norcross , a TV weatherman. Hosted by Kenny Malone and Alicia Zuckerman , with production help from Sammy Mack and Trina Sargalski .

'Fargo' and the Midwest Psyche by 2 Below Zero The 1996 movie "Fargo" stirred widespread curiosity about snowy winters, funny accents , and bloody mayhem on the frozen tundra of North Dakota and Minnesota. The film won two Oscars and inspired a popular television series of the same name. But how well did it actually capture and reflect the region? In this documentary, producers Diane Richard and Todd Melby unravel the mystery behind the parkas, prowlers, and wood chippers in interviews with actors William H. Macy , John Carroll Lynch, Stephen Park, Tony Denman, dialect coach Liz Himelstein , women in law enforcement, and many more. Narrated by Bruce Bohne (Deputy Lou). Essential listening for diehard fans of "Fargo."

Dalmar Yare & Bob's Band recorded for Live from Minnesota In this "Live from Minnesota" performance, Somali singer Dalmar Yare and Bob’s Band perform at the Cedar Cultural Center . The show concluded the 2016 Somali Week festival in Minneapolis. Both Dalmar and bandleader Bob Stacke spoke with KFAI producer Daniel Zamzow about their collaboration, the stories in their songs, and the dynamics of this one-of-a-kind band in the Twin Cities. The beginning of this program features their performance of the Somali national anthem. +MEMBERSHIP DRIVE+ Tune-in, enjoy the show, and please make a donation to truly local radio. Big or small, each pledge is important to us. You can contribute online  right here  or you can give us a call at 612-375-9030 and show your support for member-supported, independent, local, Minnesotan public radio!

A Remade Man from Open Source Our second episode in the series deals with the incredible pace  with which gene-editing technology is progressing in labs across the globe. But there is also some fretting about what the unlocking of the genome might do. Hooray for ridding the world of malarial mosquitoes, reversing aging , maybe even rescuing the woolly mammoth from extinction -- but perhaps we'll be faced with a man-made superbug biopocalypse doomsday. Tomorrow’s biotechnology will have an almost unimaginable capacity to surprise but there may be Oppenheimers among the Edisons. This episode features Siddhartha Mukherjee , Harvard innovator George Church, philosopher Michael Sandel , and infectious-diseases researcher Pardis Sabeti .

A Day in the Working Life from Bending Borders We'll hear about twelve workers who might otherwise go unnoticed – including a stripper, deli waitress, bus driver, metal scrapper and bathroom attendant – they take us inside their places of work to show us what they do , why they do it, and what it takes to get through a shift. His Name Is Lance from Minneculture Some people get joy from making other people happy. Lance Wileman makes animal-shaped balloons at Minneapolis farmers markets . And boy, does that bring smiles and giggles to children. Even so, some parents haven't bothered to learn his name. Produced by Nancy Rosenbaum .

The Rise of the Machines from Open Source It was a year of dread. A plague of degeneration, catastrophe, anger, fear, and killer robots was sweeping the globe. Well, not entirely -- but the panic about politics, economics, terrorism, and temperature is most certainly here. And there are indeed world-changing, life-threatening, real developments happening all around us. Hence, we are going to hear a 3 part series about the end of the world with futurists and scientists; beginning with a look into the future threat of AI and robotics. Christopher Lydon considers the rise and the meaning of intelligent machines -- from the deep-learning Alpha Go computer to autonomous cars. He asks guests Nicholson Baker , Elaine Scarry, Nick Bostrom , Anders Sandberg, Lord Martin Rees, Maria Bustillos , and Mark O’Connell the life-or-death question: Is the robot apocalypse already upon us?

Chris Bruhn and Kyle Fosburgh from Live from Minnesota Performing at the Warming House in Minneapolis, Christoph Bruhn and Kyle Fosburgh showcase their original blend of folk and Americana styles. You'll hear a variety of guitar picking techniques as these songwriting composers trading tunes throughout the performance. KFAI's Daniel Zamzow produced the show, which includes interviews with the performers as well as Brianna Lane , manager of the Warming House. Other Country Quartet from The World Live! How would you like to travel around the world and never leave Minnesota? The James J. Hill Center and KFAI teamed up to help you do just that. This recording of "The World Live!" concert series features Other Country Quartet , a group that offers an eclectic mix of styles on traditional Middle Eastern acoustic instruments. Other Country Quartet features David Stenshoel, Scott Nieman, Greg Herriges, and Stephen Spaise. KFAI's Tom Garneau produced and mixed th

Walk in the Park from Hearing Voices The National Park Service turns 100 this August! Our hour-long celebration immerses listeners into America's national and local parks. We will embark on a bike trip through snow-bound Yellowstone, a hike up the Grotto trailhead to Angel's Landing in Zion Canyon , spend a night in the Everglades tracking the Florida Panther, and visit community gatherings at William Pierce Park in the middle of Washington DC. Hosted by Barrett Golding and featuring producers Scott Carrier , Katie Davis , Christina Eggloff, and Jay Allison . Wolf Howls and Bison Bellows by Jennifer Jerrett We'll also be hearing a pair of audio postcards from Yellowstone National Park . First, Biological Technician Rick McIntyre tells us about the complex history of wolf calls within the park. Then, at the close of the show, Jennifer brings us on a listening safari for a signature sound of midsummer in Yellowstone - bison rutting season.

Campaign '68 from American RadioWorks Many see similarities between this 2016 election campaign and one almost half a century earlier. The 1968 presidential race was one of the most dramatic and significant contests for the White House in the 20th century. It was a close, bitterly-fought campaign in a raucous, bloody year. Ultimately, the Democratic Party lost its decades-long grip on national power, making way for the rise of Republican conservatism that profoundly reshaped American public policy for the next 40 years. Voting by Remote from Eric Molinsky Have you ever come across a TV show and wondered, who watches this stuff? Who are these people ? You might find the answer in a report by a consumer research group on the TV viewing habits of liberals and conservatives. The study doesn’t factor in race, gender or class, just people who self identify as very liberal or very conservative. But some very clear trends emerge. We'll learn what makes a show appeal to

Out of the Blue from The Texas Standard It’s been 50 years since the University of Texas Tower shooting – long considered to be the first modern mass shooting of its kind. On August 1st, 1966, a sniper made his way to the top of the UT clock tower. He killed 16 people, wounded dozens, and left many scarred by the events of that day. Though decades have passed, the people who experienced that event have not forgotten it. Close to 100 will share their memories in this oral history ; including those who were injured and the Austin Police officers who helped bring the shooting to an end.

Responding to the Opioid Crisis in MN Native Communities by Melissa Townsend For over a decade, the prescription pain killer and heroin abuse crisis has had a hold on communities across the U.S. Opioid overdoses tripled between 2000 and 2015. In 2015, Minnesota had more American Indians dying from overdoses than any other state. Many American Indians in Minnesota are still wrestling with how best to help people heal from the addiction and the historical trauma at the root of this crisis. In this special report fro m  Minnesota Native News , reporter Melissa Townsend explores the unique nature of addiction in Native communities, and how it is - or is not - shaping a response to the current crisis.

Deadly Force: Police Shootings in Black and White  from Making Contact  Why are so many of those killed by police young people of color? A recent ProPublica investigation found that a young black male is at twenty one times greater risk of being shot dead by police than his white counterparts. We’ll hear from one of the reporters who analyzed the data on police killings to come up with that startling conclusion , as well as stories of family and community members who say the justice system itself needs to be put on trial. This documentary also features audio segments from the film Arresting Power .

The Search for Silence  from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening In the noisy modern world, silence has become an ever more desirable – and fashionable – state. We  read books about it ; go on retreats to find it; and soundproof our living and working spaces in its name. But  when we have it  is it  what we want ? In the final episode of the series, Professor  David Hendy  of the University of Sussex considers the modern quest for quiet and asks whether  what really makes us humans happy is a little noise . Noise Retold  by  Matthew Herbert  We will close our program with an epic sound-effect sound-scape.  Mr. Herbert ,  head of the  New Radiophonic Workshop ,  retells  the story   of the Noise: A Human History by remixing the entire series using only the sounds themselves - sans narration. Matthew   is an e lectronic musician who is  perhaps  most famous  for his controversial sound-art album ' One Pig. '  

The Unusual Sound on Your Radio   by Delaney Hall Resonance 104.4 FM  is the world’s first radio art station, established by the London Musicians’ Collective. Its mission? To provide a radical alternative to the universal formula of mainstream broadcasting. You might tune in and hear Vietnamese pop music or  machine noises  or a man calling operators all over the world and trying to track down a phone number for the local zoo. Whatever you hear, station manager Richard Thomas hopes you'll be surprised. Or shocked. Or  delighted . Or all three. The Sonic World of Nancy Scott   by Sam Greenspan With the help of her mentor Alyce Ornella at   Spindle Works Co-Op , Nancy has begun to express her talents aurally.  There is an art to listening and sound artist  Nancy Scott 's ears are tuned to the sounds most of us  overlook .  Spindleworks is a non profit art center for adults with disabilities in Brunswick, Maine. While there Nancy spends her time there exploring the  tonality

The Ghosts of Fire Island from Myke Dodge Weiskopf For most of the 20th Century, New York's Fire Island was virtually a gay mecca; the only place on Earth where homosexual men and lesbians felt safe to live and to love freely. But at the dawn of the 1980's, an entire culture changed irrevocably, as the populace began falling prey to a mysterious and lethal new illness . What happened over the next decade is a haunting story about emotional and physical transformation in the midst of a pandemic. 

Man Divided from Everything Is Stories The story of hot chrome motorcycles, leather, and a journey into the wilderness. At age 60, Jay Byrd  lives  off the grid  and  by himself in northern Arizona where he often meditates and reads theology. He's trying to leave his past behind him. In this episode, Jay recounts his experiences with the law, prison, addiction, violence, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club , and gun-toting girlfriends. Now, after escaping this personal chaos, he’s eager to describe his philosophies concerning beauty and nothingness. “I became a biker, an outlaw, or whatever you want to call it, and tried to be a good one. I had morals. Respect. I wasn’t a rat. I didn’t break anybody’s finger who didn’t need it.”

Muhammad Ali All Mixed Up by Peter Bochan An impressionistic hour-long mix of sound and song dedicated to "The Greatest" fighter in and out of the ring.  We'll hear from Daniel Berrigan, Jorge Ben , Congo Sanchez, Dennis Alcapone, George Carlin, George W. Bush, Johnny Wakelin, Joe Frazier , Ernie Terrell, Howard Cosell, The Rolling Stones , Huey P. Newton, and many more. Find more from Peter - whose work we have featured here several times before - at mixedup.com . 

My Name is Ali by Ken Girardey A salute to a man who could walk among the nations and peoples of the world and be considered a hero by all . He may have walked alone with that respect. Interview with Muhammad Ali from The Studs Terkel Radio Archive  Studs Terkel was a champion of a working folk and icons alike, and sometimes, he even managed to bring the two together. In this 1975 interview with Muhammad Ali, Studs asks him about how racism can be defeated by the power of outsiders coming to work together. Muhammad Ali also reads excerpts from his book – The Greatest: My Own Story – and discusses his life, touching on his childhood in St. Louis, not being served at a restaurant in his hometown after winning the 1964 Olympic gold medal, why people root for and against him, and fighting for what you believe. Ali Goes to Mars from Blank on Blank It was the summer of 1966 when a persistent 17-year-old with a high school radio show near Chicago got the interview of lifetime: Muh

The Origins of the James Bond Theme by Dave Roberts Please present your ticket to the usher, purchase all your concessions, and grab a seat because the show is about to start! Tonight's documentary explores the origins of one of the most iconic movie themes of all time - The James Bond Theme . We will discover how the unlikely combination of composer Monty Norman and arranger John Barry created that signature tune for Agent 007; and in doing so, practically invented a whole new genre of music.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man from Joyride Media  Bob Dylan celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday. This man didn't just alter the course of folk music, he changed the way the music business worked. Dylan achieved this by merely doing what he does best - writing and singing his own songs ; the popularity of his music took care of the rest. In this one-hour radio special, we'll hear some of Bob Dylan's early demo recordings as well as his songs as they were first heard on AM radio - in Mono ! Plus, interviews with his first manager Roy Silver , music publisher Artie Mogull , journalist Colin Escott and record producer Steve Berkowitz. Cake will be served.

The Orphan Train by Annie Wu In September, 1854, the first "orphan train" carried 46 homeless children from New York City to far off homes to become laborers in the pioneer West. It was the first step in what was to become the emigration of as many as 250,000 orphan children to new homes throughout the entire United States. Widely duplicated throughout its 75 year history , the original orphan train was the creation and life project of Charles Loring Brace , a now largely forgotten man who became the father of American  child welfare policy. In this one-hour documentary we will hear interviews from surviving orphan train riders as well as readings from period newspapers, letters, and journals about one of the least known, yet most significant social experiments in American history.

Outsiders In from State of the Re:Union Baltimore is a city of many diverse  neighborhoods , some as long as only a few blocks. It's also a place of intense divides - racial, class, and otherwise - not easily overcome. It’s a city bogged down by a reputation for crime, poverty and dysfunction - a reputation not entirely undeserved but even more complex than the version presented in " The Wire ." However, all of that often overshadows the passion and dedication many Baltimoreans have for their city, and for taking on what’s wrong with it in ways small and large.

Let's Talk Native with John Kane KFAI's annual day to celebrate the voices of indigenous people is here!  Turtle Island: Voices Rising 2016 takes to the airwaves i n lieu of the Listening Lounge this Wednesday night. From 6pm to 8pm  John Kane will be hosting his program "Let's Talk Native" from New York. He will be speaking with KFAI’s Laura Waterman Wittstock and Navajo/Yankton Dakota activist and writer Jacqueline Keeler about native media. They will be exploring questions of overall media access to the coverage of native issues in the mainstream media.

The Epicenter of Unrest from The Signal Producer Aaron Henkin creates an audio-portrait of the neighborhood that became the epicenter of civil unrest in the wake of Freddie Gray 's death in police custody. These are the voices of Baltimore’s Penn North community just two days after the city was ravaged by arsons and looting last year. And this is just one chapter of WYPR's award-winning documentary series, Out of the Blocks . By sonically mapping one block at a time Mr. Henkin and musician Wendel Patrick are sharing the stories of their city in a way that's never been heard before.

Wordshakers from Hearing Voices Andrei Codrescu of The Exquisite Corpse takes us on an hour-long odyssey for National Poetry Month . Featuring stories by Scott Carrier, Barrett Golding , Larry Massett, Marjorie Van Halteren, among many more. We'll hear Thomas Edison's wax recordings of a speaker believed to be Walt Whitman, Lord Alfred Tennyson banging the podium, and Allen Ginsberg placing a personal ad. Then stick around as  Jan Kerouac responds to her father's poetry and parenting style in "Jan on Jack." Plus, Marianne Faithful recites Gregory Corso , DJ Spooky remixes Vladimir Maiakovski, and Carl Sandburg answers, "What is Poetry?" A special episode which is not to be missed.

Music While You Shop, Music While You Work  from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening What if  history  had a sound track? What would it tell us about ourselves? Professor David Hendy  of the University of Sussex demonstrates how it has been used to  soothe us , to  cheer us , and even make us  productive  over the past hundred years. We'll also hear extremely rare recordings from wartime episodes of the much-loved BBC series, ' Music While You Work .'  An Ever Noisier World  from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening The twentieth century brought attempts to distinguish between ' necessary ' and ' unnecessary’ noise .' In New York, the authorities tried to clean up  Coney Island  fairground, banning barkers from using megaphones and targeting street sellers, newspaper boys, and buskers. But the volume of  modern life  has risen inexorably. We will travel to Ghana’s capital,  Accra , a city so loud that visitors describe its streets as