Music

DELETE – left APM – Trilloquy

As the world of Podcasts continues to grow and evolve, so does public radio’s responsibility to engage in it, and in its audiences. Trilloquy is our response to this – ‘true and real’ conversations from the fringes of classical music. This includes classical music makers, classical music appreciators, and even those new to the genre. Trilloquy is hosted and produced by Garrett McQueen and Scott Blankenship – two classical radio hosts with divergent, yet complementary, perspectives on the culture surrounding the genre of classical music.

Latest Episodes:

Opus 50 - The End of the Beginning Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

The season one finale of Trilloquy features a conversation between Garrett and Am're Ford, who works as a composer, educator and founding director of a nonprofit arts organization. Ford shares his perspective on music education and discusses what he’s learned from starting a summer arts program. Garrett and Scott also share some big news about the future of Trilloquy.

Episode Playlist
Naughty by Nature - "O.P.P."
Steely Dan - "Black Cow"
Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz - "Deja Vu"
Drake - "Emotionless"
J. Cole - "Middle Child"

More
Arts in Action
Am're's Website

Opus 49 - 'High Art' Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

After fighting against classical music’s rigidly outdated practices as a music teacher, composer and euphoniumist John DelVento decided to take his talents into the world of commercial film and TV music. He chats with Garrett and Scott in this opus about what led to that shift, and he offers his advice for music educators seeking a relevant way to introduce new students to instrumental performance. In honor of 4/20, Garrett and Scott spend the prelude exploring the intersection of classical music and cannabis.
Episode Playlist
Sergei Lyapunov – ‘Hashish’ Symphony
Hector Berlioz – ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
Hildegard von Bingen – ‘Alleluia’
Hugo Schmidt – ‘The Devil’s Tongue’
More
“Cannabis and coronavirus: What you need to know”
John DelVento’s website

Opus 48 - Brown vs. Classical Music Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

This opus of Trilloquy features part two of a conversation with Maestro Brandon Keith Brown, who filed a racial discrimination suit after he was fired as Brown University’s music director back in 2017. Since then, he’s conducted orchestras in several countries, and he chats with Garrett about how racism in classical music isn’t just an American issue – it’s a global one.

Episode Playlist
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 10

More
”Former Brown University Orchestra Director Alleges Racial Discrimination in 2017 Firing” (Diverse Issues in Higher Education, May 13, 2019)
“Black People Don’t Like Talking About Racism” (Brandon Keith Brown, Medium, April 7, 2020)
Brandon’s website
American Composer Forum’s Response to Covid-19

Opus 47 - Brown vs. Brown Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

In 2017, Maestro Brandon Keith Brown was named music director at Brown University. A few weeks later, he was fired. The resulting racial discrimination suit that he filed in 2019 has opened up some interesting conversations in the world of classical music. In this opus, Brandon shares his side of the story with Garrett. Garrett and Scott open up this opus with a look at the ongoing impact of social distancing.

More
”Brown University music director claims racial bias in 2017 firing” (Providence Journal, May 12, 2019)
Brandon’s website

**Opus 46 - A Little Less Beethoven** Apr 02, 2020
Show notes

Orchestras are starting to program more works by women and composers of color, but today those performances are nearly outnumbered by the programming of works by a single composer: Beethoven. That's just one of the surprising statistics professor Rob Deemer has discovered through his work with the Institute for Composer Diversity. He joins Garrett and Scott in this opus to talk numbers and explore why orchestras may want to program “a little less Beethoven.”

**Playlist**
*My Favorite Things (arr. John Coltrane)*

**More**
Support the Institute for Composer Diversity
Resources for artists impacted by COVID-19

Opus 45 - Privileged Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

According to musician and arts administrator Janis Lane-Ewart, the best way to keep the spirit of Women’s History Month alive year-round is by sparking a sense of curiosity about ALL the women in your life. In this opus, she chats with Garrett about her experiences in music to conclude Trilloquy’s look at Women’s History. Garrett and Scott also offer a few of their Women’s History Month stand-outs, and they conclude the opus with a Janis-dedicated performance by pianist Lara Downes.

Episode Playlist
Amanda Röntgen-Maier - Violin Concerto
Kate Moore & Ashley Bathgate - Stories for Ocean Shells
Amina Claudine Myers - African Blues
Dinah Washington - What a Difference a Day Makes
Florence Price - First Romance

More
Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund
Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund

Opus 44 - Sex, Drugs, and Social Distancing Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

The COVID-19 pandemic has already had a huge impact on the financial wellness of musicians. In this opus, Garrett and Scott share ways that you can support artists during the crisis. This opus also features a conversation with Blair Tindall, author of Mozart in the Jungle, and a peek into the new album by Singapore-based bassoonist Jo Anne Sukumaran!

Episode Playlist
Modest Mussorgsky - “Tuileries (Children's Quarrel after Games)” from Pictures at an Exhibition
Jo Anne Sukumaran - The Night Garden
More
Contribute to the Artist Relief Tree
Jo Anne Sukumaran's website
Watch Mozart in the Jungle
Read Mozart in the Jungle

Opus 43 - Rock on From the Podium Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Being one of the few black woman conductors in the world isn’t the only thing that sets Kalena Bovell apart. In this opus, she chats with Garrett and Scott about her journey to the podium and her deep admiration for metal! To frame the conversation, Garrett and Scott draw connections between rock and classical, and they shout out the black woman who codified the sound of rock ’n’ roll guitar: Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Episode Playlist
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight” (arr. Tina Setkic)
Metallica – “Nothing Else Matters” (arr. Soren Madsen)
Evanescence – “Lacrymosa” (after Mozart)

More
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Kalena Bovell’s website

Opus 42 - (Still) Classically Black Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

In February 2019, Garrett recorded his very first Trilloquy conversation with Katie Brown and Dalanie Harris, hosts of the “Classically Black” podcast. The two return in this opus to chat with Garrett and Scott about the benefits and challenges of hosting a classical music podcast, and they offer their perspectives on real solutions to classical music’s lack of diversity.

Episode Playlist
Dobrinka Tabakova – Concerto for Cello and Strings
Jessie Montgomery – Starburst
Anna S. Thorvaldsdóttir – Metacosmos
Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 1
Nils Boltman – Troubadour Blue
DaBaby – “Shut Up” (arr. Michael Matas)

More
Classically Black

Trilloquy is supported by the Minnesota Orchestra.

Opus 41 - 'Off the Page' Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

Garrett and Scott wrap up Black History Month with improvisatory composer Davu Seru, who joins them for an in-depth conversation on black history, community, literature, gardening, and music! Seru and deVon Russell Gray share a live improvisation at the end of this opus. In the prelude, Garrett and Scott respond to listener requests by revisiting a previous conversation regarding The American Rhapsody.

Episode Playlist
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – African Dance No. 1
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor/Aaron Dworkin – The American Rhapsody

Watch
Davu Seru and deVon Russel Gray

Davu Seru and deVon Russel Gray

More
Davu Seru on “Minnesota Original”
“George Washington, the slave owner” blog post
Trilloquy Op. 37

Trilloquy is supported by Naxos of America. Find out more at https://unclassified.com