A Musician's Life

Series produced by WXPN

Caption: PRX default Series image
PRX default Series image 

A grab bag of musicians muse about the creative and mundane aspecs of their lives. WXPN's Tracey Tanenbaum hosts this ongoing five minute weekly series

In the series A Musician?s Life listeners learn about musicians? lives first-hand. We?ll hear from performers at various stages of their career?those on the rise; those who have ?made it? and those who may be struggling for some recognition. They?ll describe both the creative and mundane sides of what they do, including:

? The biggest sacrifice they ever made for their art
? How they work with the music industry
? How they feel about critics and fans
? The realities of touring
? The stories behind specific songs
? Fall-out from writing about people in their personal lives
? Any toll their work takes on their personal lives
? Dealing with writer?s block
? Growing up wanting to be an artist
? Taking care of the voice
? Taking care of one?s health

This is a five-minute weekly series hosted by WXPN's Tracey Tanenbaum. She created the feature in 2006 and won the 2007 ACE award (Award for Creative Excellence in the Triple A category) for her efforts. Even though Tracey hosts and interviews the artists, she makes sure they take center stage, adding her voice or question only when appropriate. So AML has a first person feel. The program features a hefty-dose of each artist's music. The 5 minute length provides an option for stations looking for other content to replace NPR newscasts.

Performers include Sheryl Crow, Nick Lowe, Bob Mould, Mary Gauthier, Tegan and Sara, John Doe, Jim White, Vusi Mahlasela, Michael Penn, Kristin Hersh, Jill Sobule, Colin Hay, Tift Merritt, Jason Isbell, Francis Dunnery and more, more, more... Hide full description

In the series A Musician?s Life listeners learn about musicians? lives first-hand. We?ll hear from performers at various stages of their career?those on the rise; those who have ?made it? and those who may be struggling for some recognition. They?ll describe both the creative and mundane sides of what they do, including:

? The biggest sacrifice they ever made for their art
? How they work with the music industry
? How they feel about critics and fans
? The realities of touring
? The stories behind specific songs
? Fall-out from writing about people in their personal lives
? Any toll their work takes on their personal lives
? Dealing with writer?s block
? Growing up wanting to be an artist
? Taking care of the voice
? Taking care of one?s health

This is a five-minute weekly series... Show full description


67 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Erin Mckeown got her start playing folk-based guitar as a student at Brown University. A decade into her career Erin has developed a genre-defying...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and WGDR


  • Added: Mar 27, 2009
  • Length: 05:01
  • Purchases: 2
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On this edition of A Musician's Life, John Wesley Harding talks to Tracey Tanenbaum about his life as an author and singer-songwriter. He's got a ...

  • Added: Mar 30, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
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On this edition of A Musician's Life with Tracey Tanenbaum folk-rock icons Emily Saliers and Amy Ray muse about their different musical and persona...

Bought by Georgia Public Broadcasting, KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio, and KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Apr 07, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 3
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On this edition of "A Musician's Life" Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with Mark Olson & Gary Louris. The two men co-founded the Jayhawks in 1985. A decad...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Apr 09, 2009
  • Length: 05:01
  • Purchases: 1
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Jorma Kaukonen is best known as a founding member of the seminal psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, but his first love is American roots mus...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio, KUFM - Montana Public Radio, and KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio


  • Added: Apr 16, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 3
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On this edition of "A Musician's Life" Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with Teddy Thompson. He's still best known as the son of folk legends Richard and L...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio


  • Added: Apr 28, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with Squeeze's founding member Glenn Tilbrook. In the early 1980's critics were comparing Tilbrook and his collaborator Ch...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: May 01, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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On this edition of "A Musician's Life" Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with The Bacon Brothers. The Bacon Brothers are screen actor Kevin Bacon and his br...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio


  • Added: May 07, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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When Steve Forbert began making records in the late 1970's he was dubbed "the new Dylan". No doubt, critics and audiences responded to his intelli...

Bought by KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio and KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Jul 01, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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Texas native Rhett Miller threw away a full scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College to pursue music full-time. His gamble paid off. Miller's band O...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Jul 01, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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On this edition of A Musician’s Life, Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with Moby. Some hail the electronic artist as an innovative genius while others call...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and Remix Radio


  • Added: Sep 14, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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Australia native Ben Lee formed his band Noise Addict when he was just 13. Within a couple of years the group counted Thurston Moore of Sonic Yout...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and Remix Radio


  • Added: Sep 14, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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On this edition of "A Musician's Life" Tracey Tanenbaum speaks with Kevin Hearn. The Canadian Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter makes crowd-ple...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Sep 15, 2009
  • Length: 05:01
  • Purchases: 1
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Neko Case's torch-like voice has won her fans. But her genre-defying style--as well as her take on love and nature--set her apart from her contemp...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and KUOW


  • Added: Oct 08, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2
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Singer-songwriter Tim Easton doesn't drink much anymore but he still writes about people who do. His latest album called "Porcupine" is a raucous ...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Oct 08, 2009
  • Length: 05:01
  • Purchases: 1
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Steve Earle had a lot in common with his songwriting hero the late Townes Van Zandt. Both spent time in Houston, both played guitar and both had h...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Oct 08, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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To his fans his story is legendary. Ireland's Barry Moore began playing music with his older brother Christy when he was a young teenager. He rei...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Oct 09, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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You may not know his name but if you're a fan of HBO's "True Blood" you know Jace Everett's baritone. Each week Jace's song "Bad Things" accompanie...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: Oct 22, 2009
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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In 2006 Paste magazine named Josh Ritter one of the top 100 living songwriters. But shortly after completing his 2008 album, "Historical Conquests...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio


  • Added: May 13, 2010
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 1
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When Phish formed in the early '80's they played to audiences in their college town of Burlington, Vermont. By the mid 1990's, they were performin...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio and Vermont Public


  • Added: May 14, 2010
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 2