Take Note

This week we are observing the Hindu celebration of Diwali. Along with traditions used to celebrate the festival, no Diwali is complete without dance and song.

October is Italian American Heritage Month, and we’re celebrating with the music of Henry Mancini, one of history’s most prolific composers of film and television soundtracks.

October 10 is National Trumpet Day, and you can celebrate with trumpet music on Take Note. As aired on KBACH on October 7.

It is Hispanic Heritage Month! And on Take Note, we’re celebrating with a string quartet by Peruvian Jewish American composer Gabriela Lena Frank. As aired on KBACH on September 30.

This week on Take Note, we’re honoring International Week of the Deaf with famous deaf musicians and a special music program for deaf children. As aired on KBACH on September 23.

International country music day was established in the 1950s and is a time for country music enthusiasts to appreciate their favorite music. And today we’re celebrating by talking about the woman who brought a whole new audience to this genre. As aired on KBACH on September 16.

In honor of Brazil’s independence day, we’re learning about Brazilian music like samba and bossa nova. As aired on September 9th.

September 1 was World Letter Writing Day, and on Take Note, we’re learning about two particular letter writers whose correspondence we can read today. As aired on KBACH on September 2.

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. As aired on KBACH on August 26th.

This week on Take Note, we learn about the Festival of Obon, a Japanese tradition dating back over 500 years. In this episode, we will dive into the folk music behind this special holiday. As aired on KBACH on August 19.

August 12 is National Vinyl Record Day, and on Take Note, we’re explaining how this classic medium works. As aired on KBACH on August 12.

This week on Take Note, it’s British Columbia Day. You probably didn’t even know some of these famous artists are from British Columbia! As aired on KBACH on August 5.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating bagpipe appreciation day by learning all about this ancient instrument and its uses over the years. As aired on KBACH on July 29th.

This week on Take Note we’re learning about traditional Japanese hayashi music in honor of the Tobata Gion Yamagasa Festival. As aired on KBACH on July 22.

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.

This week in honor of Nunavut Day, learn about kattajaq, a form of throat singing practiced by Inuit musicians. As aired on KBAQ on July 8.

In this episode we celebrate the 4th of July as it is an American holiday that celebrates the passage of the declaration of independence. As aired on KBACH on July 1st.

This week on Take Note, we’re learning about the traditional religious festival of the Andes region known as Inti Raymi. As aired on KBACH on June 24.

In honor of Juneteenth, we’re taking the opportunity to examine the life of the newly rediscovered composer and fiddle player Sawney Freeman, who was perhaps the first Black composer to have his work published. As aired on KBACH on June 17th.

This special Father’s Day episode is all about the fathers in classical music history. As aired on KBACH on June 10.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month with the music of Erollyn Wallen and Bob Marley. As aired on KBACH on June 3.

This week’s Take Note dives into the composers behind the US Armed Forces songs in honor of Memorial Day. As aired on KBACH on May 27.

May 20th is National Band Director’s Day, and we’re taking the time to honor band directors and the support they provide for young musicians. As aired on KBACH on May 20th.

In this episode we explore Jewish music and the impact it has had on American culture in honor of Jewish Heritage Month. As aired on KBACH on May 13th.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and here on Take Note, we’re celebrating by hearing from a few music teachers who tell us about their passion for music education. As aired on KBACH on May 6.

April is National Poetry Month, and this week on Take Note, we’re celebrating with two classical works that draw on poetry for their inspiration. As aired on KBACH on April 29.

This week on Take Note we’re celebrating Earth Day by acknowledging the beautiful red Italian spruce trees that have given us some of the world’s most famous violins. As aired on KBACH on April 22.

This week on Take Note: Jazz Appreciation Month, a time to celebrate the popular American genre that has influenced so much of today’s music. As aired on KBACH on April 15.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating Ramadan by learning about adhan, the call to prayer. As aired on KBACH on April 8.

This week on Take Note, it’s the lesser-known April 1st holiday: National Trombone Player’s Day. As aired on KBACH on April 1.

March 25 is a day to honor the memories of those affected by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and today on Take Note we’re taking the opportunity to recognize composer Joseph Boulogne Chevalier du Saint-Georges.

This week on Take Note we’re celebrating International Teach Music Week with the sounds of Tchaikovsky. As aired on KBACH on March 18th.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating the Blue Dragon Festival--known in Mandarin as Lóng Táitóu (龙抬头)--and celebrated each year on the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. As aired on KBACH on March 11.

March 4 is Dance the Waltz Day, and we’re celebrating with waltz music by “The Waltz King” himself: Johann Strauss II. As aired on KBACH on March 4.

It is National Friendship Month, and what better way to celebrate than to recognize a few iconic musical friendships throughout history. As aired on KBACH on February 25.

February is Black History Month, and today we’re learning about two remarkable composers: William Grant Still and Valerie Coleman. As aired on KBACH on February 18.

February 11 is National Guitar Day, and here on Take Note, we’re learning all about the history of the guitar. As aired on KBACH on February 11.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating Chinese New Year, which took place on January 29th. We’ll hear traditional music that accompanies the dragon and lion dance as well as a symphony by Chinese-American composer Tan Dun. As aired on KBACH on February 4.

This week on Take Note, we’re learning about polka in honor of National Polka Music Month. As aired on KBACH on January 28th.

In this episode celebrate Mariachi Day by exploring the origins of mariachi music and what led it to become widely celebrated today. As aired on KBACH on January 21st.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti while learning about traditional Indian instruments. As aired on KBACH on January 14.

In this episode we celebrate International Creativity Month by recognizing the creative process and how it is important to musicians and composers. As aired on KBACH on January 7th

For our final episode of the year, we’re celebrating Omisoka, the Japanese New Year’s Eve tradition. As aired on KBACH on December 31.

This week on Take Note, we’re honoring the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah that begins on December 25th and lasts until January 2. We’ll hear a traditional blessing plus some rousing Klezmer tunes. As aired on KBACH on December 24.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating the Christian holiday tradition of Las Posadas with Spanish carols. As aired on KBACH on December 17.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating Santa Lucia Day, a winter holiday observed in Sweden, Norway, and parts of Finland on December 13th. As aired on KBACH on December 10.

On this episode of Take Note, we’re celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities by learning about the ways in which music can be an inclusive space for everyone. As aired on KBACH on December 3.

This week on Take Note, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with Leonard Bernstein’s “Turkey Trot”! As aired on KBACH on November 26.

This month is Native American Heritage Month, and to honor this celebration, we’re learning about Native composers Louis W. Ballard and Dawn Avery. As aired on KBACH on November 19.

This week on Take Note, in honor of the Cambodian Water Festival, or Bon om Touk, we’re taking a dive into the music traditions of Cambodia. As aired on KBACH on November 12.