Since January 2005, Music From Other Minds has presented new and unusual music by innovative composers and performers from around the world. Produced weekly for KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco by Charles Amirkhanian and the Other Minds staff, and aired at 8pm every Sunday, Music From Other Minds aims to open up radio listeners to experimental classical work by living and recent composers. We bring you the latest in contemporary music from around the world, and some glimpses into the past, to give a context for today’s music.
Follow this link for information and track listings from programs prior to program 501.
Follow this link to download a complete list of works played on MFOM up to program 769.
Previous Programs
Program 612: New Chicago Jazz
This week we’ll take a look at music coming from some of the younger experimental jazz artists based mainly, with a few exceptions, in Chicago. Among those are Makaya McCraven, who has made a number of albums with techniques normally used to build hip-hop music. We’ll also hear Chicago-based experimentalist Ben LaMar Gay, whose work stands out for it’s eccentricity and creativity. Trumpeter Jaimie Branch’s work projects major spunk and attitude. We’ll also hear work from a couple of ensemble projects featuring Moor Mother, the poet, musician and activist Camae Ayewa.
Program 611: Composer Submissions
On this Music from Other Minds program, Liam Herb featured music submitted by composers from around the globe. The program is composed of works by Jay Williams (GA), Bruno Liberda (Austria), Stephen Ruppenthal (CA), Michael Pisaro (CA), Orlando Jacinto Garcia (FL), Alvin Curran (Rome), Robert Worby (UK), and Stéphane Borrel (France).
Program 610: The Cutting Edge
On this Music from Other Minds, Liam Herb explores new releases by KMRU AKA Joseph Kamaru, Ben LaMar Gay, Carmen Villain, Aisha Orazbayeva, Benjamin Vraja, Tasting Menu, and Irreversible Entanglements. Tune in to hear the latest releases in ambient, contemporary classical, and improvised music.
Program 609: Transmutation—The Music of Marga Richter (1926-2020)
On this Music from Other Minds, Charles Amirkhanian explores the life and music of composer Marga Richter (1926-2020).
In this two-hour Music from Other Minds program, Charles Amirkhanian will explore the life of this under appreciated pioneer of American Music through the lens of her work, giving historical context and commentary along the way.
Program 608: The Cradle Will Rock
On the next Music from Other Minds, the first American broadcast of the complete orchestrated version of Marc Blitzstein‘s The Cradle Will Rock, with recollections by the composer.
Program 607: American-ness
On our special Third of July program, Music From Other Minds will feature a curated selection of music that exhibits that hard to describe, but easily recognizable characteristic of music that can’t be called anything else except “American Sounding.”
Program 606: A Philip Glass Sampler
In our second-ever two-hour program (also rebroadcast on March 6, 2022), Music From Other Minds will feature a sampling of Glass’s work, including his String Quartet number 5, and a recording from 2016 of one of his seminal minimalist pieces from the nineteen seventies, Music With Changing Parts.
Program 605: Juneteenth
On this Music from Other Minds Liam Herb plays an eclectic mix of black American composers in celebration of Juneteenth. Tune in to learn a bit about the history of the holiday and hear TWO HOURS of music by Olly Wilson, George Walker, Matana Roberts, Moor Mother, Norman W Long, Ben LaMar Gay, and LOAN (comprising Tongo Eisen-Martin & Chris Peck).
Program 604: It Starts With Strings
In this program, we’ll listen to a 1980 work by Terry Riley for string quartet called Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector. The other music in this program was chosen to go with that piece. There are tracks from virtuoso string players Yo Yo Ma and L Shankar, one from Myra Melford‘s ensemble Snowy Egret, and a couple of others to fill out the program.
Program 603: African-American Experimentalists
Many of the greatest achievements in music history belong to the black community, including the invention of entire genres. Tonight we present a small sampling from the panoply of boundary-defying innovations made by black artists in the field of experimental music.
