Musicians in their own words

Series produced by David Schulman

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Image by: David Schulman 

David Schulman's award-winning series of first-person musician portraits

Yo-Yo Ma plucks his cello with a hotel room key ... Cecilia Bartoli remembers her past life as a flamenco dancer ... Cyro Baptista takes us to his percussion garage, scats a samba rhythm, and swings a vacuum-cleaner hose over his head.

Moments of surprise, moments of insight — that's the idea behind Musicians in their own words.

It's the public radio project that brings listeners inside the creative lives of lyric sopranos, bassists, congueros, concert violinists, and more ...

The project, launched with CPB support, has created dozens of pieces for the NPR newsmagazines and other national broadcasters, including APM's The Story, PRI, and Hearing Voices. Many pieces also are designed specifically for station use, and work especially well in a station context when used to preview a local performance.


48 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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In a room across from Carnegie Hall, the exuberant young piano phenom demonstrates how he approaches a lovely Brahms Intermezzo -- and wonders whet...

Bought by PRX Remix, The Story, KMHD, KNAU, WKSU and more


  • Added: Jan 19, 2004
  • Length: 04:07
  • Purchases: 7
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The Grammy-nominated vocalist talks about finding a place in jazz for funk, gospel, and pure joy.

Bought by WMPG, KMHD, KNAU, East Village Radio, WVPE and more


  • Added: Jan 12, 2004
  • Length: 04:27
  • Purchases: 6
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Gillian Welch is known in Nashville for songs that echo the sounds of the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers. But Welch isn't after nostalgia -...

Bought by PRX Remix, KMHD, KNAU, East Village Radio, WVPE and more


  • Added: Dec 29, 2003
  • Length: 03:07
  • Purchases: 9
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A salsa hero teams up with a leader of Puerto Rico's plena revival.

Bought by KMHD and KNAU


  • Added: Nov 30, 2004
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 2
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Taking a traditional Puerto Rican beat from the cane fields to the age of cell phones ...

Bought by PRX Remix, KFAI Minneapolis, KMHD, and KNAU


  • Added: Nov 11, 2004
  • Length: 03:00
  • Purchases: 4
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A master testifies on the sacred steel guitar

Bought by KFAI Minneapolis, PRX Remix, KMHD, KNAU, WHQR and more


  • Added: Oct 26, 2004
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 6
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A portrait of the guitar-playing legend who helped create ska and reggae — turning 80 June 19, 2012!

Bought by PRX Remix, KUT, KMHD, and KNAU


  • Added: Oct 06, 2004
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 4
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In words and in music, the jazz pianist shows how Bob Marley's late song of slavery and freedom is "almost like a hymn."

Bought by PRX Remix, KMHD, KLCC, KNAU, and WHQR


  • Added: Oct 01, 2004
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 5
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In the mind of a Jamaican jazz master, Bob Marley meets Roy Rogers ...

Bought by PRX Remix, KCUR, Musicians' Radio, KMHD, KNAU and more


  • Added: Sep 29, 2004
  • Length: 07:10
  • Purchases: 6
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A rich-voiced bluesman rediscovered by the Music Maker Relief Foundation remembers what it was like performing during the '50s and '60s in the inf...

Bought by The Story, KMHD, and KNAU


  • Added: Feb 24, 2004
  • Length: 06:18
  • Purchases: 3
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An eclectic country musician describes how he sent Ralph Stanley to the Dairy Queen, and a few other tricks of a songwriter's trade.

Bought by PRX Remix, KMHD, KNAU, East Village Radio, WVPE and more


  • Added: Mar 04, 2004
  • Length: 03:25
  • Purchases: 7
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Sticking together as a family ... and as Junkies.

Bought by PRX Remix, The Story, Public Interactive, KMHD, KNAU and more


  • Added: Jun 22, 2004
  • Length: 04:23
  • Purchases: 6
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Drinking sherry with the angels, and other tales from a Southern songwriter.

Bought by The Story, KBUT Crested Butte, Colo., KMHD, WTMD, WNCW and more


  • Added: May 25, 2004
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 7
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The first thing a songwriter needs is a good topic sentence. Or maybe not ...

Bought by KMHD, WNCW, and KNAU


  • Added: May 18, 2004
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 3
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Bluegrass veteran Del McCoury talks about the choreography of playing bluegrass — in front of just one or two mics.

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Aug 30, 2012
  • Length: 03:48
  • Purchases: 1
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A dinosaur nephew, El Greco, and blockbuster movies -- they're all in the mix for songwriter Dar Williams.

Bought by KMHD, KNAU, East Village Radio, and WNCW


  • Added: May 11, 2004
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 4

  • Added: Dec 03, 2004
  • Length: 03:20
  • Purchases: 12
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Today's leading jazz violinist talks about the experience of playing Paganini's violin, and about her passion for Latin rhythms.

Bought by PRX Remix, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KMHD, KZYX, KNAU and more


  • Added: Dec 21, 2003
  • Length: 02:46
  • Purchases: 9
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Joseph Shabalala describes how the vision for Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to him in a dream -- in four-part harmony. Shabalala's voice takes on m...

Bought by Prairie Public, PRX Remix, KUOW, KMHD, KNAU and more


  • Added: Feb 09, 2009
  • Length: 05:17
  • Purchases: 9
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The 2009 Grammy winner talks about finding her voice, with a little help from Miles Davis and musical parents who figured "you're going to get the ...

Bought by PRX Remix, WNCU, KGLT, KUCB, WMPG and more


  • Added: Feb 09, 2009
  • Length: 04:45
  • Purchases: 9