KBEM

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Recognized as the Twin Cities’ public radio voice for jazz and education, KBEM is a program of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Approximately 150 students annually participate in KBEM’s hands-on educational program, which focuses on all aspects of broadcasting and production. Students who develop their skills and select broadcasting experience can gain significant on-air time. The station is on-air 24/7 with 35 hours of student programming each week, with live professional announcers and pre-recorded, syndicated programming filling out the rest of the schedule. KBEM is the only station in the Twin Cities market which offers a jazz format and officially provides MN-DOT traffic reports.

KBEM was initially established at Minneapolis Vocational High School in the 1960s. The station was moved to North High School in 1983 as a part of the District’s desegregation initiative and it continues to reside there today. The vast majority of KBEM students attend North High School.

Series

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62 Pieces

Minneapolis High School Students, with the help of a team of educators and poets, were encouraged to write poetry. The poems created by the students are in some cases hard-hitting, and in others, cute.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 13, 2014
Caption: Susan Spongberg, Credit: Frank T. Heffelfinger III
9 Pieces

Minnesota Creates is curious about how creativity occurs, so Susan Spongberg asked an assortment of Minnesota artists how do you choreography a dance? Where do your novel’s characters come from? How do you decide what to paint?

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 14, 2014
Caption: Minnesota Jazz Legends: The Elders, Credit: Jim Davis
8 Pieces

Minnesota has many wonderful jazz musicians, still playing well into their 80's. Minnesota Jazz Legends: The Elders, features live and in studio performances and interviews, talking about their careers in the Twin Cities from early on to present.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Nov 11, 2021
Caption: Jazz 88 FM, Credit: http://www.jazz88fm.com
15 Pieces

Minnesota Music Moment is a weekly feature of KBEM FM 88.5, each week highlighting a different Minnesota musician.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Feb 25, 2011
Caption: KBEM logo, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
436 Pieces

Each item in the series tells how a musicians is inspired, how s/he works, their goals and intents for their work; in general, how each gets motivation and follows through with a creative project.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Oct 09, 2015
Caption: Arne Fogel, Credit: John Whiting
65 Pieces

Minnesota Voices-Certain Standards Minnesota Vocalists perform new renditions of the Great American Songbook. Arne Fogel-Host

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Oct 31, 2012
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2 Pieces

In a world and time of differences, music has the power to bring us together, to unite us through a shared experience. Music knows no boundaries. It transcends that which keeps us apart. Join Jazz88 for an evening of discovery with Music Without Borders.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Sep 04, 2019
Caption: Bobb Fantauzzo performing with Lyz Jaakola, Credit: Andrea Canter
18 Pieces

Native flute player Bobb Fantauzzo illuminates the contributions made by jazz musicians with Native American heritage.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Apr 19, 2016
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4 Pieces

Butch Thompson's Piano Bench Show looks at the piano stylings of the early performers of jazz.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jul 14, 2011
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0 Pieces

Perspectives relating to Minnesota culture, history and the arts contributed by Minneapolis high school students.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Apr 04, 2010

Latest Pieces

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The New music community draws adventurous particpants from many music styles. Over the course of three November days, the Zeitgeist Music Cabaret p...

  • Added: Nov 05, 2015
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Maryam Ysafzadeh at home, Credit: Phil Nusbaum
The World Jazz Trio combines interests in varied musical forms, with a goal of synthesizing multiple styles into something new. The members of the ...

  • Added: Oct 31, 2015
  • Length: 07:47
Caption: Maryam Yusafzadeh at home, Credit: Phil Nusbaum
Maryam Yusafzadeh has been involved in many adventurous musical project over the years, and she’s at it again with a new Jazz group that combines m...

  • Added: Oct 31, 2015
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Scott Davies, Credit: Dan Corrigan
Scott Mateo Davies is a career ethnic musician, with great interests in certain styles of the Spanish world. Recently he told Phil Nusbaum abiut se...

  • Added: Oct 22, 2015
  • Length: 05:08
Caption: Scott Davies, Credit: Dan Corrigan
The Tango. It’s old, but contemporary, too. It’s exotic, but really it’s a social dance form. And it’s for experts and beginners. And Mateo’s Rogue...

  • Added: Oct 22, 2015
  • Length: 05:05
Caption: Dave Graf (l) and Doug Haining (r), Credit: Phil Nusbaum
Merle Knudson was a saxophonist with a distinctive sound who also acted to help young jazz players get going. Phil Nusbaum talks to Doug Haining an...

  • Added: Oct 15, 2015
  • Length: 05:00
Caption: Brian miller and Randy Gosa, Credit: Natalie Champa-Jennings
Brian Miller is a Northern Minnesota guy who plays Irish Music, and specializes in the songs created by Irish lumberjacks in the old north woods. T...

  • Added: Oct 11, 2015
  • Length: 08:26
Caption: Jeremy Walker, Credit: Andrea Canter Achilles
Jeremy Walker is a man of many musical perspectives. He enjoys creating jazz tunes, but then also in creating works much grander in scope than any ...

  • Added: Oct 11, 2015
  • Length: 08:33
Caption: Sarah Porwoll-Lee, Credit: Ellie Peterson
To Sarah Porwoll-Lee, it isn’t only that she plays new music on the clarinet. When she talked with Phil Nusbaum, she revealed that she gets excited...

  • Added: Oct 09, 2015
  • Length: 07:57
Caption: Todd Harper, Credit: Carl Allen
Todd Harper turned his life around when he decided to play jazz piano full time. He talked to Phil Nusbaum about his life in jazz, and about his mu...

  • Added: Oct 09, 2015
  • Length: 08:39