Take Note

From September 19th to October 4th, Munich will celebrate the 191st Oktoberfest with food, beer, traditional garb, and music. Learn about that traditional Bavarian musical sound right here on Take Note!

September 29th is Broadway Musicals Day, and we’re celebrating with what some enthusiasts and scholars consider the first example of a staged musical production: The Black Crook.

This week, we’re recognizing the Korean holiday of Chuseok, the harvest festival that falls from September 24th to 26th. Among Chuseok observances, a significant historical practice is "ganggangsullae" (강강술래), a communal dance in which participants join hands in the shape of the full moon and act out various scenes from rural agricultural life accompanied by traditional music.

It is Hispanic Heritage Month! And on Take Note, we’re celebrating with a string quartet by Peruvian Jewish American composer Gabriela Lena Frank.

On this episode, we ring in the Ethiopian and Eritrean New Year, which is marked by the end of the region’s rainy season. Ge’ez New Year is also called Enkutatash in Amharic and Kudus Yohannes in Ge’ez and Tigrinya. We’ll hear some celebratory music and learn about the traditional instruments of the region.

Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The celebration falls on Friday, September 4th and is celebrated with devotional chant and singing, which we’ll hear in a recording of the Hare Krishna Maha mantra.

August 26th is Women’s Equality Day, and on Take Note, we’re celebrating an important composer in the fight for women’s equality: Amy Beach.

In this episode we celebrate National Radio Day by taking a look back at the history of classical music aired on radio. 

This August 11th, marks the 3rd annual National Hip-hop Celebration Day! Listen to learn about this iconic American genre - its influences and its place in significant American music.

On this week’s Take Note, we’re honoring the Hindu holiday of Ker Puja, which occurs on August 7th. It’s a solemn celebration primarily observed in the Northeastern Indian state of Tripura. Listen to hear the sound of the bamboo flute sumui.

This week on Take Note, we’re honoring the Theravada Buddhist festival Asalha Puja, which commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon. We’ll hear traditional Sri Lankan Buddhist music and learn about the instrument horanawa.

As we wrap up the month of July, let’s celebrate the Fiesta de Santiago, a day that honors Spain’s patron saint St. James the Apostle. We’ll observe this holiday with 12th century sacred polyphonic music as well as some traditional sounds of the Spanish-speaking Americas.

This week on Take Note, we’re observing World Listening Day, a time to recognize the importance of sound in our lives and its role in shaping our understanding of the world around us.

July 7th is Tanabata, or the Star Festival, in Japan. It is derived from the Chinese Qixi Festival. In this episode, we’ll hear the traditional Tanabata song.

In honor of America 250, let’s learn about the music and the instruments that created the soundscape of the Revolutionary War.

In this episode, we celebrate pride month with the story of Tchaikovsky, and we discuss why it’s important to acknowledge musicians’ sexuality.

In this episode, in honor of Juneteenth, we learn about the life of Blind Tom Wiggins, who is sometimes referred to as the “last American slave.”

June is African American Music Appreciation Month, and in this episode we cover the various popular music genres with African American roots and take a look at three very different musicians.

Celebrated annually on June 1st and 2nd, Gawai Dayak is the Harvest Festival celebrated in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia on Borneo. This week, we learn about the dance Ngajat and the instruments that accompany it.