APM's Piano Puzzler Turns 10!

For several years, I had lost the Piano Puzzler from my podcast line-up because I hadn't realized that it moved from National Public Radio (NPR) to Performance Today on American Public Media (APM). But happily I was reuinited with my favorite classical geek podcast through this post on the Piano Street Blog. I also didn't realize that you can now purchase the scores for some the super cool creations from Bruce Adolphe here:



Piano Puzzlers: Thirty Familiar Tunes Disguised in the Styles of Famous Composers

Wow, how cool is that?  Last time I geeked out over the Piano Puzzler was back in 2006. Lately, I've been catching up on everything on the feed and was really awed by the April 25, 2012 show (clicking the link will open a streaming window).  The contestant was a pianist in the US Marine Band.  Not only did he correctly guess the tune (Mozart Symphony No. 40) and the composer (Chopin) whose style it was performed in, he also took to the piano and played the Mozart Symphony in a jazz style.  A piano conversation between Bruce Adolphe and the contestant!  It made the music geek in me completely flip over the awesomeness of it all.

If you're in Minnesota, check out the Piano Puzzler 10th Anniversary party being held at the UBS Forum in St. Paul on June 20th.  Happy piano puzzling!

Left of the Blue Wall

Adam and Dova enjoy a ride in my car.

Last month Doug started working again.  This has turned our household upside down, so be thankful that you aren’t hearing about that!  One of the changes is that I am now in charge of sending the kids to camp or school in the mornings.  Morning commutes had been my quiet time where I reflectively choose which podcasts or music to listen to.  When I had picked up the kids in the afternoon, we listened to The Beatles or other music the kids wanted (within reason).  So how will my peaceful morning commute change with kids in the car?

On our first Monday commute together, I put on the usual NPR Sunday Puzzle podcast with Will Shortz.  I shouted answers at the radio as I always do, solved the weekly challenge, and explained the answer to the kids.  They were quite impressed that mom solved the challenge (so was I, this rarely happens in real time).  Then I put on a sure crowd pleaser, NPR’s Krulwich on Science.  We were all enthralled by the piece Have You Heard of B-flat.  So much so that when we got home, we pulled up the song by Josh and Adam and played it over and over.  Eventually, I ventured into more traditional NPR Stories from the Story of the Day and Technology podcasts.

I continued to put on my choice of podcasts or music in the mornings and the kids were fine for the most part.  Imagine my surprise when I heard Adam request on the ride home, “Can we listen to more NPR?”  What?  Is this a 9-year-old boy speaking?  How did I luck out like this?  I absolutely hated listening to NPR as a kid.  Then again, the podcast format allows us to easily skip over stories that aren't interesting to us.

I’ve waxed poetic over my favorite podcast, WNYC’s Radio Lab, many many times.  But I never got Doug to listen to it, so I didn’t have much hope for the kids.  Until last week.  We started listening to the Radio Lab Shorts and finally a full length episode, Words.


Dova at age 3 in front of the blue wall at the Eric Carle Museum
 
In this episode, Charles Fernyhough described an experiment where a rat is placed in a white rectangular room with a biscuit in one corner.  If the rat is spun around and disoriented, he has a 50-50 chance of finding the biscuit in the right corner afterward.  If you take one of the four white walls and paint one blue however, you should be able to find the biscuit using the blue wall as a navigational tool.  Even though rats can see color, they can’t make the relationship between the colored wall and the location of the biscuit, so they still only find the biscuit 50% of the time.

It gets interesting when Elizabeth Spelke’s research showed that children can’t make a relationship such as “left of the blue wall” until the ripe old age of six!  They proposed that language itself allows us to make this relationship.

Here I am in the car with my 6-year-old Dova and 9-year-old Adam, both mesmerized by this show.  I have seen the transformation in Dova from age 5 to age 6 where this cognitive linking begins.  Last year, I tried to start her on piano lessons and she could not connect the notes on the page to something that her fingers needed to do.  This year, she finally got it.  So I was really excited that she had finally started to think as Charles Fernyhough explained.

After listening to the podcast, I asked what she thought of the episode, especially the segment on "Left of the Blue Wall".  She just looked at me confused and said, "But what does that MEAN???"  So close, yet so far.  Adam and I just shook our heads.  A few days later, I asked her if she understood “left of the blue wall”.  She waved her left hand and said, “You mean on this side?”  Whew.  Still, I won’t be putting her into white rooms with one blue wall any time soon.

Tell Me Thursday - Touring the WGBH Studios

I remember growing up watching PBS programs created by WGBH with that infamous glowing logo. When I moved to this area 16 years ago, I immediately became a member. Since then, I have become a sustaining member, which has added perk of being able to join various clubs and attend events. I joined the WGBH 89.7 radio club and attended various live classical and jazz performances. It was really exciting to see the radio hosts in person (Richard Knisely and Eric Jackson) as well as tour of the studios when it was back on Western Avenue in Boston. Since having kids, we have not been quite so cultural and jet-setting and settled for the Kids and Family club.

A couple years ago, WGBH moved its headquarters into a new state-of-the-art facility in Brighton. Last year, we attended their Science Saturday kid's event and met Nate Bell of Design Squad. During this event, we didn't get to wander through their new studios, so I was really eager to tour them during the Frontline Digital Nation preview. This is how we ended up on the set of Greater Boston for this week's Wordless Wednesday. No, we were not being interviewed for the show, we simply ran up and took the seats because they were there.



Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera for the Digital Nation preview (my Panasonic is still off being repaired and I wasn't as ambitious as CC to bring my DSLR), so I just used my phone. Here's a shot of conference room where they presented the preview:



Here is Kristen of Manic Mommies interviewing producer Rachel Dretzin with a wonderful sunset in the background:



Speaking of Manic Mommies, you can hear this interview as well as interviews with other participants, including yours truly , in this week's podcast.

And speaking of WGBH Kids and Family, they are having a Kids & Family day on June 13 from 1-3pm. You don't need to be a member to RSVP. And then haul yourself to the BlogHer Boston-area get together afterwards!


For more secrets behind Wordless Wednesday, visit Tell Me Thursday. What a great idea!

This American Life Live!

I eagerly went to the This American Life Live! event in movie theaters a couple weeks ago. If you missed it, you can see an encore performance on May 7th, 2009 (I know it's today... I could never be a real-time reporter). It is well worth it! Just click on the button below for more information:



The pre-show was even fun, with quizzes and interesting wordplay.



We got a wave from "our boss" Torey Malatia.



When the show finally started, I was mesmerized and didn't take many more pictures. Besides, my friend said that he could see my camera's red auto focus beam hitting the screen (had the point and shoot).



It was definitely a different experience seeing Ira Glass larger than life on the big screen. I watched in awe as he pressed buttons on his audio console like a conductor. The episode was Return to the Scene of the Crime. It didn't have to do with criminals, OK some petty ones in the prologue, but it mostly highlighted some of the regular contributors. I even listened to the entire episode on the podcast again, to see what made into the radio show from 90 minute live show.

Mike Birbiglia started Act One with a nightmare story involving a drunk driver who t-boned his rental car. When he found out that the completely botched police report named him at fault, he embarked on a crusade to right the wrong. I loved seeing the police report and the actual napkin where he had madly scribbled out a plan during the live show.

Starlee Kine performed a piece about a retreat using the Hoffman Process with a Post-It Note Story. You guys who just listen to the radio show totally missed this. It was hilarious!

Dan Savage stole the show with a moving account of flirting with Catholism after his mother's death. Dan is a gay sex advice columnist whose lifestyle could never be reconciled with the faith that he was brought up with. It was funny, it was moving, and it totally made me cry.

Last but not least (and out of order in the radio show), Joss Whedon sang a DVD commentary number after a short viewing of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. If I hadn't see the video during the show, I probably would've missed the fact that Dr. Horrible is played by Neil Patrick Harris, aka Doogie Howser MD. I loved Doogie!

We also got a glimpse of a segment from the This American Life TV show. I've seen the show in passing on TV, and it really didn't speak to me, but this piece about John Smith was pretty interesting. If you missed the show and the radio broadcast, you can always listen to the podcast (download it quick while it's still free).

I'm on the Manic Mommies!

Kristen, me and Erin at BlogHer Boston '08.  My shirt says "fight like a girl".

My highlight of BlogHer Boston was definitely meeting Erin and Kristen of the Manic Mommies. They were so down to earth, and genuinely hysterical in real life. After having this photo taken, they asked me whether I'd like to be interviewed for the podcast. What? Me? Ack!

They were so easy going that it was a breeze. I can't bring myself to listen to the interview, but you can tell me how it went. They also interviewed Christine Koh of Boston Mamas and took a test drive in a Saturn Vue hybrid.  Here's the link to the podcast.  We had a fun discussion afterwards about whether or not they should put the "Silver Bullet" vibrator into their Escape '08 goody bag.  The comments in their Big Tent discussion are hysterical!  From "Hi Ho Silver and away" to "My 77 year-old mom is coming on the cruise."  My vote goes with the gal who suggested that they should go to the moms who can't go on the cruise who said, "We can enjoy multiple 'escape-asms' at home for free."

Save the WGBH Morning Stories Podcast

Sadly, in the last WBGH Morning Stories podcast, Tony Kahn announced that WGBH will no longer produce this podcast after August 2008.  This is definitely one of my all time favorite podcasts and I've mentioned it here no less than 7 times, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, whew!  Morning Stories have meant so much to me as well as hundreds of thousands of other listeners (I'm guessing) around the globe.

I have been a long time supporter of WGBH (sustaining member at that)  as long as I've lived in the greater Boston area and they have been great.  I just wish I were high enough on the donor pole for my voice to make a difference.  But I do have this blog and I ask anyone who wants to save the Morning Stories podcast to write a comment here.  I'll print out this post with all the comments and mail it to them. 

And here is a link to support the podcast.  Perhaps if they can raise enough money to produce the show, WGBH will kindly keep their studio time.

Contribute with a credit card

Thursday Thirteen #35 - Favorite Podcasts

If you haven't caught the podcasting revolution, go get yourself an MP3 player and subscribe! It is completely effortless with an iPod and iTunes; podcasts are automatically added and removed to your device. I don't see how people listen to podcasts while sitting at a computer, I'm always clicking around in about five different tabs and do not have the attention span for that. While I'm stuck in the car, traveling or exercising, I cannot live without it. No more crappy radio and lots more choices!

1. The Daily Breakfast with Father Roderick - This is the "must hear" show every morning for this non-Catholic, non-Religious listener. The Dutch priest discusses movies, video games, gadgets, food, health, with a smattering of Catholicism mixed in. He is funny, intelligent and always interesting.


2. NPR Story of the Day - Of course not all radio is crappy, and I certainly need my fix of NPR. Doing the Story of the Day podcast allows me to skip the stories I'm not interested in ("Film captures annual swim of elephant seals" comes to mind) and just hear the ones I am interested in. Plus 5-10 minute stories are the perfect length for my evening commute.


3. NPR Sunday Puzzle - This is the best way to listen to the Sunday Puzzle on Weekend Edition. No need to be conveniently near a radio when it comes on, and I never miss the always composed and charming Will Shortz. I've only entered a few times, and would probably freak out if I were ever chosen to play the puzzle on the air.


4. WGBH Morning Stories - I never miss this father of all podcasts from my very own member station. I've connected with Tony Kahn through messages on Flickr and my sister-in-law has even appeared on the program.


5. This American Life - I used to download and listen to shows that my friends recommended, but now I am hooked and can't miss an episode. It's tougher for me to find hour-long chunks of time to listen, so I've gotten behind. Hopefully biking weather is around the corner?


6. WNYC Radiolab - This hour-long science show, which I have blogged before, is always absolutely riveting and fascinating. Again, I am way behind and looking forward to my next business trip to catch up.
   


7. NPR This I Believe - "The personal philosophies of remarkable men and women from all walks of life". While I don't always agree with all the essays presented, it can be quite humbling and eye-opening to hear other people talk about their personal convictions. The last couple of weeks had an essay by a "busybody" (which I am not, but this essay really makes you think twice) and an astronaut who recorded his essay aboard the International Space Station (click the link for the video). Both gave me goosebumps to listen to.


8. Digital Photography Tips From The Top Floor - Chris Marquardt runs an awesome audio and video podcast and my photography has definitely improved since listening. Can you tell?


9. Naxos Classical Music Spotlight - As I have posted before, Raymond Bisha gives an extremely informative podcast often with interviews with conductors and composers.


10. Thankfully, NPR heard my plea to bring back the From The Top or "Classicool Kids" podcast. This along with the Naxos podcast are my top choices when driving with Dova. Hopefully, she'll be inspired to someday be on From The Top (no I won't be a pushy classical music mom, she hasn't even started lessons yet).


11. Car Talk's Call of the Week - When Adam is in the car, we listen to Click and Clack, although he likes Father Roderick as well for the video game aspect. Doug listens to the entire Car Talk show as a podcast.


12. The Bitterest Pill - The always funny and ironic Dan Klass has switched to a premium pay format, which I haven't sprung for (I am too behind on all my other podcasts to pay to be behind on this one). I understand that he has to try to make a living out of it, but it still irks me to have to pay... Still, I keep up with the once a month freebie podcast as I can't live without my fix.


13. Cush: Things I Say - "Mature words for mature minds". The often self-absorbed Cush never ceases to entertain. I don't always agree with his male-centric view of the world, but it is still a must listen.
    

Looking over this list, I see that it is heavily populated with NPR podcasts (and I didn't even list them all). But that is the beauty of podcasting, you can tailor your choices to your listening pleasure.

National Geographic Video Shorts - not for the faint of heart

While Adam waits for his bus to school, I sometimes whip out my iPhone and we watch something quick on YouTube (I know I know, can't this kid spend one minute without stimulation?). Since most YouTube videos are crap, I decided to subscribe to the National Geographic Video Shorts podcast, figuring that it would be more educational. The first time I suggested watching one of these, Adam rolled his eyes and said it would be too boring (so cynical at such a young age). 

 I scanned down the list to find a title that was more sensational and chose Blood Initiation. What I failed to do was read the description, "Young men of the Matausa tribe undergo a painful bloodletting ritual as a passage to manhood, shoving sticks down their throats and noses, and piercing their tongues." After about 30 seconds when it was clear that this wasn't something that my kids should watch, I stopped the video. I scanned down the list again and tried Lizardman. (Note, clicking on this link will bring you to a page which will immediately start the video). I read the description, "A Texas man takes tattoos and piercings to the extreme. He has become a one-man freak show," and figured that tattoos can't be that bad. In reality, this man transformed (i.e. disfigured) his body with tattoos and surgery so that he resembles a reptile with pointed teeth and a forked tongue. Seriously, his tongue can move in two different directions. It was so disturbing, I had to turn it off as well. Of course the kids were fascinated and wanted more more more, but thankfully the bus arrived. I think I happened to pick some of the most disconcerting videos to start with. Since then, we've watched a few others such as Hurricanes and Jesus Christ Lizard which have been great. So just beware and read the descriptions before watching these videos!

Podcasting with Ustream

I've heard a few podcasts recently where the podcaster recorded their show live in front of a Ustream audience. Ustream is basically a site which streams live webcam video and audio and provides a chat window for interaction.

On May 3rd, CC Chapman of Accident Hash broadcasted and recorded this show live with the talented Matthew Ebel in nearby "Metrowest Boston". I remember seeing the twitters about it at work, but of course Ustream is blocked from my work. I listened to the show later and it was really cool.

On May 8th, my favorite podcaster, Father Roderick, broadcasted the 300th episode of the Daily Breakfast live on Ustream. Thankfully, he also recorded it with his other video camera and posted the video which I watched later. During the live broadcast, UStream featured his stream on the front page and he had over a hundred viewers. Watching the video, you can really observe his craft: multi-tasking by fluently speaking a 2nd language, seamlessly clicking his bumpers in CastBlaster, adjusting sound levels, reading the chat window in Ustream, pulling up websites while playing listener feedback (they were talking about creating social sites using www.ning.com), all the while maintaining his cool and charisma.

I finally got to experience a Ustream podcast recording first hand when the Rosary Army recorded this show. In the chat window, people were complaining about the lighting and Greg would respond by moving lamps or switching the overhead light on an off. I made a comment about the camera automatically dimming after the light turned on, so Greg reached over and flipped the light switch a few more times. Near the end of the show, Greg pulled out a Fun Dip stick and showed all the Ustream viewers what it looked like (I had never seen one). After the recording of the show, the podcasters were finally able to turn their full attention to the Ustream viewers. Jennifer asked what image they should use for the show and I immediately typed "FUN DIP!". Lots of people agreed, and even though Greg and Jennifer seemed a bit reluctant since it was only a small side joke during the show, it did become the image. It was really cool to watch and be part of the whole process through Ustream.

Ustream definitely adds a whole new dimension to podcasting. There is direct interaction with the audience instead of feedback a few hours to a few days later. And as Fr. Roderick notes, even large audiences can be managed. With TalkShoe, you can have live audio chats, but it is really hard to weed out non-relevant and off topic comments. Dan Klass used TalkShoe for his 2nd anniversary of The Bitterest Pill, but the energy was a bit off and hard to control. With the Ustream chat window, you can ignore the fringe, pick which questions and comments to address and therefore provide direction for the show. Plus, if Fr. Roderick used Ustream everytime he podcasted, he would never be at a loss for an English word, although I find that very charming. I hope all podcasters will try out this new medium as it definitely adds value. Now, if only I can get the block from work lifted...

My voice feedback on the Daily Breakfast

I have been way too shy to submit any voice feedback to the podcasts I listen to, but the whole Wii experience is creating a new outgoing Angela. So here is my feedback that appeared on Daily Breakfast #239 at 19:05. If you don't know me, I am not Catholic at all, but I absolutely love Father Roderick and his SQPN shows. I've even dreamt about him. My mom also loves Brother Giles from the Secrets of Harry Potter podcasts. We must have a thing for those European accents. For those of you who are not so audio inclined, here it the text of the feedback:

Hi Father Roderick,

This is Angela from Pepperell Massachusetts in the United States. I wanted to give you some feedback on your geek section, which I personally love. I believe that podcasting has not reached the mainstream public, and that probably 90% of podcast listeners are geeks. The other 10% are people that have been shown the way and setup by geeks. There are many engineers that I know, who are supposed to be geeks, but still can't figure out iTunes, let alone podcasts. So don't apologize for expounding on your computer woes and triumphs. We've all been there and love to commiserate.

I also have to say unfortunately, that you've been a ba-a-ad influence on me. I absolutely had to get a Nintendo Wii after your awesome live demonstration. Now that I have one, I have to fight for time on that TV which is also connected to our DVR. After your glowing review of the Windows Media Center Edition, I might just have to invest in a TV card and a new operating system to free up time on my regular TV so I can play on the Wii. If I tell people that all this gadget frenzy is influenced by a Catholic priest from the Netherlands, they'll think I'm totally insane. Of course, I wouldn't trade your show for anything. Keep up the great work.

He went on to discuss waiting for a Vista version. Of course, being a Windows software developer, I had my hands on the official Windows Vista release a full week before the average joe, but I didn't mention that. I will install it at some point, but I'm still on the fence about getting a TV card (would I have to rent a CableCard as well?). I find watching videos on my computer does not go well as I'm always distracted by something else. And I have no handy way of streaming video from my computer to my TV as he does with his Xbox 360. How is it that a priest has more gadgets than a software engineer?!?

Goodbye Marketplace Takeout

I have really been enjoying the Marketplace Takeout podcast as it puts together all the cool, sometimes quirky stories without all the market news. The complete half hour show was originally available through paid subscription through Audible, and now will be available free as a podcast (woo hoo!). There's no way I can listen to a 1/2 hour show everyday, but I will subscribe to the shorter Marketplace Morning Report (I used to rush the daycare drop-off to be able to hear it live at 7:53 am every morning). Here is a list of all their podcasts selections.

technorati tags: marketplace, podcast

Happy April Fool's Day

I've been duped by Fr. Roderick!! The Daily Breakfast is alive and well, it was just an April Fool's joke. Who'd've thought he could pull off such a prank??

Save the Daily Breakfast!!

I was completely horrified to hear that Fr. Roderick was asked by his Vicor to stop producing his Daily Breakfast podcast. He is asking all his listeners to send in a small testimonial through email that he can print out and bring to his meeting with his Bishop on Saturday (4/1 tomorrow!!). This is by far my favorite podcast, even though I am certainly not Catholic!! I'm off to write my testimonial, and if you're a listener (or even if you are just a friend of mine) please send one off to: dailybreakfast [at] sqpn.com. Hopefully, he won't even have enough paper to print all the emails that he gets.

ROFL at the gym

I was at the gym when I listened to this (very short) podcast: Jerry Lewis Undergoes Emergency Gefloigel Surgery The Onion - America's Finest News Source. It somehow tickled my funny bone so much that I couldn't lift the weights anymore because I was laughing so hard. I kept listening to it over and over and still I kept laughing. No one at the gym stared at me, so at least it wasn't too embarrassing.

One day on the way home, I heard Blogging: A Blight or a Boon to Marriage? Since the topic is so near and dear to me, I was again laughing so hard that I couldn't even hear the podcast. It was very true to life and humorous.

As a side note, this story describes how IM abbreviations are entering mainstream language (as my post title will show): OMG: IM Slang Is Invading Everyday English.

Apple charges for first iTunes 'podcast novel' - vnunet.com

I was a big fan of Earthcore (and still haven't finished Ancestor yet), even though Sci Fi/Horror isn't really my genre. Although I would never read or buy books like this, it makes for great listening on long drives. I'm glad Scott can make some money this way on his tremendous efforts in writing and narration. I'm even happier that his new books will appear as FREE podcasts first for those of us already on the bandwagon.

Continuous Computing Blog: Apple Finally Catches the Podcasting Wave

I am so psyched!! I've subscribed to all my favorite podcasts right from iTunes. Oddly enough, they include all the ones listed in Wade's blog entry, "from the raunchy and irreverent Dawn and Drew Show to the surprisingly hip and candid Catholic Insider, with Curry's own Daily Source Code." I haven't actually listened to the new firmware with bookmarking on my iPod, a must for longer podcasts like the podcast novel Earthcore. Now that I've shed my 2 hour a day commute, I don't know when I'll be listening to all these podcasts!! Plus I'm losing my Tuesday and Friday Earthcore walks with Dova. Here are the rest of my addictions: The Bitterest Pill, and of course WGBH Morning Stories.

Roadcasting: A Potential Mesh Network Killer App

This roadcasting idea sounds really cool. It is really great to have your whole music library on your iPod, but if you solely listen to that, you will never hear any new stuff, so you have to resort to the radio. Sure you can subscribe to podcasts, but it is hard to find the right ones and not quite as easy as flipping the radio dial. Plus podcasts are better for talk, and I usually fast forward through most of the songs. Roadcasting would be great because you can listen to other people's playlists who have the same taste and get to hear new stuff, without a DJ telling you to like it. I wonder how far the transmissions will go. Do you have to be driving in the same direction? 2010? Can I wait that long?

I finally figured out who Adam Curry was

After listening to Mr. Podcast himself for a while, on his Daily Source Code podcast, I finally figured out who Adam Curry was. I even peeked at his Flikr pictures and that didn't even jog my memory. His name was vaguely familiar, but when he mentioned that he had been a celebrity since being a teenager, I thought, do I know this guy? Finally it dawned on me that he was the VJ on MTV in the late 80's, when I was addictied to MTV. Personally, I loved Martha Quinn, and thought Adam was a bit full of himself (and his hair!). I asked Doug if he remembered Adam Curry, the VJ on MTV, and he replied "The black guy?", and I said no, the blond guy with the big hair. This conversation happened twice, too funny. Couldn't find the guy Doug was talking about on Google, for the next time we have this conversation.

NPR : Podcasting

Please put in a plug for NPR and podcasting. They recently nixed their pay-for-dowload deal (how non-public radio like) with Audible and are thinking about podcasts. Comment here!! I would love to see two of my favorite things come together!

Podcasting - get with the program

I started listening to the WGBH Morning Stories podcast earlier this year when I had a mere Palm before my iPod. I thought this is great, after searching for and exhausting all the free audios from the Audible.com website, here is what I've been looking for all along. Audible had some good stuff like the 9/11 commission hearings (more on another post someday!), presidential debates, interviews with authors, and most notably the Everest expedition. But podcasting is really where it is at, just as long as enough people spread the word. I'm just starting to weed through different podcasts, so I haven't sorted the good stuff from the crap. Morning Stories is excellent, professional and well produced, but relatively short. Adam Curry's Daily Source Code is good too, although kind of just a big promotion for podcasting which I don't need since I'm already sold.

If you want to get started go to www.ipodder.org and download iPodder. I do like the seamless integration with iTunes, but it is just as easy to load up the MP3's onto any portable device.