VoiceBox

Aging Voices

In “Aging Voices,” we speak to Colorado seniors whose voices have changed, their directors, and a professor who believes that singing when you're older is good for you.
See more at: http://www.cpr.org/news/story/voicebox-colorado-seniors-sing-intellectual-spiritual-health

Stuttering

In “Stuttering,” we speak to Ryan Pollard, an instructor at CU Boulder, and Tom Krueger, a choir leader in Denver, both of whom have lived with a stutter since they were young.  

Auctioneering

VoiceBox is a sound-rich exploration of the human voice. In each five-minute episode, host Chloe Veltman, reporter Alyssa Kapnik and sound engineer Seth Samuel explore pitch and harmony, meet shouters, singers, announcers and stutterers, and ponder the meaning and importance of the most primal of musical instruments.

In “Auctioneering,” we meet Colorado Auctioneers Hall of Famer Steve Linnebur and Al Carlson, a long-time auction attendee from Golden, Colorado. We also meet Justin Ochs, an auctioneer from Tennessee.

Feel The Rhythm

(Re-run: This program originally aired on September 20, 2013)

Jazz vocalist and Grammy Awards board member Kitty Margolis discusses how she helps aspiring jazz singers develop their improvisation chops.

Charlotte's Changes: From child soprano to indie rocker

(Re-run: This program originally aired on September 6, 2013)

The versatile Welsh vocalist Charlotte Church chats with Chloe Veltman about how she morphed from being one of the world’s most successful child sopranos to finding her voice in the indie rock space.

Pitch Perfect?

(Re-run: This program originally aired on June 21, 2013)

Ever since Cher scored a hit with “Believe” in 1998, Auto-Tune, a digital tool which helps singers adjust their vocal pitch, has become a ubiquitous presence in the pop music world. Join Andy Hildebrand, the inventor of Auto-Tune, for a discussion about the tool’s legacy and future.

What a lovely Aria! I mean Number.

(Re-run: This program originally aired on June 14, 2013)

Opera blogger Charlise Tiee (Opera Tattler) and musical theatre blogger Chad Jones (Theater Dogs) discuss the often porous line that exists between the worlds of musical theatre and opera.

The Many Voices of Bob Dylan

(Re-run: program initially aired on November 23, 2012)

Bob Dylan’s voice has been compared to sandpaper and described as "a catarrhal death rattle." Blues music aficionado Devon Strolovitch discusses the colors of Dylan's vocal instrument.

Pucker up

Virtuoso whistler and music journalist Jason Victor Serinus chats about the art of whistling and making a career out of this oft derided vocal art form.

Gramophone Gods

(Re-run: This program originally aired on March 29, 2013)

Singer and early vocal recordings champion Meredith Axelrod chats about the vocalists who pioneered recorded sound technologies in the early twentieth century and the revival of interest in singing and recording techniques from this period today.

DIY songs for kids

(Re-run: This program originally aired on March 8, 2013)

Erin Bregmann of the Little Opera Company, a San Francisco-based organization that creates operas from scratch with grade school students, Ruth Nott, director of education for the San Francisco Opera, and Graham Welch, a professor of music education at The University of London and a major force behind the UK’s Sing Up! Initiative to inculcate singing in schools, talk about why vocal music education matters and off-the-beaten track ways to get kids participating.

From Pakistan To The Bay Area

(Re-run: This program originally aired on March 1, 2013)

Vocalists Riffat Sultana and Sukhawat Ali Khan, siblings who come from a lauded lineage of Pakistani singers, (their father is the Pakistani musical icon Ustad Salamat Ali Khan) discuss their rich vocal music journey from Hindustani classical music to banghra.

Singing without sight

(Re-run: This program originally aired on February 15, 2013)

Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin discusses what it takes to lead a successful career as a singer when you're blind and how other sight-impaired vocalists such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Andrea Bocelli have made world-class names for themselves in a world that's so deeply vision-oriented.

It’s reigning men

(Re-run: This program originally aired on February 1, 2013)

Aaron Humble and Adam Reinwald, who sing with Cantus, one of only two full-time professional men’s choruses in the country, share their thoughts about the culture of the male singing voice in the United States and elsewhere and how they promote singing to young people, especially boys.

The art of screaming

(Re-run: This program originally aired on January 4, 2013)

Voice Speech pathologist and American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) member Sarah Schneider, 'scream' coaching expert Melissa Cross and thrash metal singer Steve Souza (Hatriot, Dublin Death Patrol, Exodus, Legacy/Testament) chat about the physical risks of screaming and how artists who have to raise their voices on a regular basis can do so safely.

Zen and the Art of Singing: On the relationship between riding waves and singing songs

(Re-run: This program originally aired on November 25, 2011)

There’s more to the relationship between surfing and singing than Beach Boys songs in praise of surf culture. Join chorus director and surfing enthusiast Bob Geary and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman to find out more. (playlist)

Walking in a Winter Singalong Land: On the Joys of Singalong Cinema

(Re-run: This program originally aired on December 23, 2011)

The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without a trip to the local movie theatre for a Singalong Sound of Music or Singalong West Side Story. Join performer and impresario Laurie Bushman, the host of the famous singalong soirees at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman, for a look at the culture of the singalong and what makes these events so much fun. (playlist)

Medieval Madonnas: Anonymous 4’s Susan Hellauer on chant

(Re-run: This program originally aired on December 16, 2011)

The roots of much western music today lie in the haunting sacred vocal music of Medieval Europe. Join Susan Hellauer, a member of the world-renowned a cappella vocal ensemble Anonymous 4, and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman, for a journey into the history and technique of chant. (playlist)

Don’t Let Your Ears Deceive You: On the art of ventriloquism

(Re-run: This program originally aired on August 12, 2011)

Believe it or not, ventriloquists used to be a popular fixture on the radio airwaves. Chloe Veltman welcomes playwright and theatrical impresario Sean Owens, ventriloquist Ron Coulter and Ron’s puppet partner of 60 years, Sid Star, for a discussion about the art, technique and culture of throwing your voice. (playlist)

Angelic Cherubs?: On training boys to sing beautifully

(Re-run: This program originally aired on August 5, 2011)

Vienna isn’t the only place where boys sing like angels. The Bay Area and other parts of this country boast some formidable choruses made up of talented young male singers. Kevin Fox, the founding artistic director of the Pacific Boychoir Academy based in Oakland joins VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a chat about the defining characteristics of boys’ voices and the ins and outs of training them en masse. (playlist)