Minnesota Music Notes

Series produced by Ampers

Series image

Moments in the musical history of Minnesota

Moments in the musical history of Minnesota


82 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
O Come All Ye Carol Writers
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Every family has traditions. In Abbie Betinis’ family, the tradition is Christmas carols. Britt Aamodt looks at how a great grandfather and great u...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Jayanthi Kyle and Wes Burdine Pen an Anthem
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Jayanthi Kyle and Wes Burdine from the group Gospel Machine were finishing the lyrics and melody of a new song hours before Kyle had to premier it ...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
A New Accordion Sound
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
If you took accordion lessons in Duluth between the 1950s and ‘70s, you probably had John Copiskey as a teacher. And if Copiskey was your teacher, ...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Music for a Meatpacker’s Strike
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
In 1985, the union workers at the Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota, went on strike. When they did, Minnesota’s musicians rallied behind them. Brit...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Venus de Wow
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
In the 1990s, Venus de Mars was the goddess of Minneapolis dark glam with her group All the Pretty Horses. Today, she is an icon. Britt Aamodt take...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Hmong Hip Hop Pioneer Tou SaiKo Lee
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Tou SaiKo Lee is a man of words. He’s a poet, spoken word artist and hip hop emcee. Britt Aamodt tells the story of how Lee married his Hmong herit...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
The Qeej: Instrument of Celebration and Afterlife Journeys
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The ancient Hmong culture developed a number of musical instruments. Britt Aamodt looks at the qeej, an instrument whose tradition that is kept ali...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Minnesota’s First Rock-n-Roll Record
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Cornbread Harris was a Minneapolis pianist noodling around with a song recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra. Augie Garcia was a guitarist from St....

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, KSRQ, and WGZS


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 5
When Bruce Swedien Met Billie Jean
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Bruce Swedien set up his first recording studio in his parents’ basement in Minneapolis. But he’s best known for his work with Michael Jackson. Bri...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Thomas Abban: A Sheik’s Legacy
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
How does a kid go from being a coffee shop guitarist to City Pages’ best new music act of the Twin Cities? Britt Aamodt unravels the legend of Thom...

Bought by KQAL, KFAI Minneapolis, WTIP, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 26, 2018
  • Length: 01:29
  • Purchases: 4
The Wallets Cash Out
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The Wallets were a band in 1980s Minneapolis known for their high-energy jams and theatric performances. Producer Daniel Zamzow describes how in on...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, Radio K, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Judy Garland
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Frances Gumm was born in 1922 Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She would grow to become the singer and actor Judy Garland, star of The Wizard of Oz. Produc...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, Radio K, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Twin/Tone Records
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The independent music scene of Minneapolis began its ascension in the mid-1970s. This happened for a number of reasons, but, as producer Daniel Zam...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, KSRQ, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Jack Pearson
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Jack Pearson was a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and storyteller devoted to sharing his talents in schools, libraries, and churches all across M...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 3
The Suicide Commandos Burn Down
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The godfathers of the Minneapolis punk and indie rock scene are The Suicide Commandos, a trio at the center of the budding subculture in 1970s Minn...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, Radio K, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Keith Secola
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Born and raised in Cook, Minnesota on the Boise Forte Reservation, musician Keith Secola has an intimate relationship with Anishinabe culture. As p...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 3
Duluth's Dylan Festival
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Duluth, Minnesota is the birthplace of Robert Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan. Producer Daniel Zamzow describes the annual festival that honor...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, Radio K, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
A Prairie Home Companion
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The Minnesota radio treasure, “A Prairie Home Companion”, had its humble beginnings at Macalester College in 1974. As producer Daniel Zamzow explai...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, Radio K, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 4
Les Fields & The River
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
Les Fields put a Dixieland Jazz band together at the last minute to cover for his work Christmas party in 1968 Rochester, Minnesota. As producer Da...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 3
Leonard "Skeets" Langley
From: Ampers
Series: Minnesota Music Notes
Piece image
The accordion was a gift that kept on giving for Leonard “Skeets” Langley, who as a young adult, was crowned champion at the 1963 World Accordion C...

Bought by WTIP, KQAL, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 15, 2017
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 3