Stream VPR and VPR Classical on your iPhone and iPod Touch

In October, I wrote a blog post to address the question from listeners as to whether or not they could listen to VPR and VPR Classical on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. The answer I gave then was basically "coming soon". Well, that day has arrived.

Last week, American Public Media launched the Public Radio Tuner. This is a FREE application that allows anyone to listen to the LIVE streams of VPR and VPR Classical on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Vermont Public Radio is just one of almost 200 public radio stations participating in this project (the list is growing), so you'll find many other stations in the directory in addition to VPR. Click here for information on how to get the Public Radio Tuner »

Some of you may be wondering why is this useful, given that the iPhone isn't even available in Vermont yet. Well, it looks like the iPhone may (finally) be on the way to Vermont. But even though it's not officially here, lots of folks have the iPod Touch and many have even figured out ways to have working iPhones in Vermont. For the latest on the iPhone coming to Vermont, check out this recent post on the 7Days blog "Blurt".

If you have an iPhone or Touch, I hope you give the Public Radio Tuner a try and let us know how it works for you. If you've got any feedback - positive or negative - contact APM directly, here, or contact me at Vermont Public Radio.

Thanks for listening,

Jonathan Butler
VPR.net

Vermont Author on Vermont Edition

A listener writes...

"Dear Old VPR
Enjoyed hearing about author Bill Schubart and his book "The Lamoille
Stories" on VT Edition? How do I get a hold of Bill's stories?"
- Chris, Lyme, NH"

We did have Bill Schubart on Vermont Edition on 11/26 to share his new book, "Lamoille Stories: Uncle Benoit's Wake and Other Tales from Vermont." I think you can find the book at local bookstores and online. Click here for a link to Bill Schubart's web site for more information.

Sincerely,
Patti Daniels

PS: Click here for a link to the audio of the interview with Bill Schubart.

Don't Talk So Fast!

A fan of Exploring Music (7pm weeknights on VPR Classical) asks.....

"I hear the name of composers, conductors or musicians and the names flow off the lips of announcer on Exploring Music on VPR Classical, BUT you have no idea how the name is spelt. And if you want to name for music by the funny sounding name you have no idea where to look."

Exploring Music's website contains cue sheets for each program. They're
mainly used on our end, to verify that the correct program is airing, but
you can check them out as well. They contain all the information you
desire.

www.exploringmusic.org

Hope that helps!

Joe Goetz
VPR Classical

Simple Gifts

At the end of Willem Lang's commentary "Simple Gifts," the Shaker song "'twas a gift to be simple" was played. It was simply beautiful. What was the singer's name and the album it was from?

The version of "Simple Gifts" you heard was by the cellist Yo Yo Ma with
vocals by Allison Krauss.

You can find it on the CD "Classic Yo Yo".

I hope you enjoyed it.

Also, click here to hear Willem's commentary.

Thanks for listening!
Mitch Wertlieb

Why doesn't online audio synch with my radio?

I listener recently asked: “I want to know why the sound from my computer
is not insync with the radio station? I was hoping to augment my little radio
with the sound from my computer. Not possible?”

The broadcast audio and the streaming audio will never be in synch - our
audio signal is sent to our transmitters on dedicated links which have
very low delay. Web streams are sent over the public Internet and,
depending upon how may networks and routers they must pass through
before they reach you computer, they can be delayed by anywhere from 1
to 2 minutes compared to the broadcast audio. The broadcast audio is
only slightly delayed in it's trip to the transmitter (8 seconds on the
analog side to match the delay inherent in HD radio), and then from the
transmitter to your radio. But the delay will never be as long as it is
for the audio streaming over the Internet!

Hope this helps answer your question!

Thanks for listening -

Rich Parker, GSEC
Director of Engineering
Vermont Public Radio

Neal Charnoff complements All Things Consdered with his love of music.

All Things Considered host Neal Charnoff was VPR's jazz host and always has a stack of CDs on his desk. His music 'buttons' in between the stories on All Things Considered often have a humorous angle....

"I love being able to connect the music to the story, either thematically, or literally. Sometimes the connection is subtle, sometimes more obvious. I trust public radio listeners to pick up on the connection, without me having to spell it out.

For example, during the election, I would occasionally use an instrumental version of Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants To Rule the World". Of course not everyone knows that song, but I felt enough people would recognize it to get the joke.

Another example is a story Steve Zind did on turkey calling. Jazzman Clark Terry is fond off scat-singing gibberish, and it sounds a bit like turkey calling, so it was a funny way to come out of the story.

Of course it's important to gauge the tone of the stories or commentaries you'll be coming out of. I try to keep a library of music that would fit any occasion, sad or happy. Commentator Mike Martin often writes about French issues, so I have some accordian music to go with his essays. For Willem Lange, I tend to go with folksy guitar music.

Sometimes it's a communal effort. If we have a story about trains, we'll run around the building asking people what their favorite train songs are.

We're always on a deadline, and I don't always find the right piece of music in time. But when the process works, it really adds a dimension to our news stories. I think the connection between music and story-telling is part of what makes the public radio experience so satisfying. "

Neal Charnoff

Morning Edition Host Mitch Wertlieb reveals his inspiration for musical moments

Every day, VPR receives at least one email that reads something like this, "Right before 8 o'clock this morning, I heard this great piece of music. Can you tell me what that was?" Morning Edition Host Mitch Wertlieb explains...

"I have no shame admitting that my origins in radio stem from a stint as a late-night DJ for my college radio station, and to this day I have a real passion for all kinds of music. As a journalist and Morning Edition host, I don’t think my passions for news and music must always be mutually exclusive. When I look at the stories, interviews, and commentaries we have coming up on Morning Edition each day, a little trigger will sometimes go off, and that DJ voice inside my head says “Hey, wouldn’t this or that song be a nice complement coming out of this story?”

I remember one of our commentators once voicing a thoughtful essay about how important it is for hikers to remember that sedge grass on some of Vermont’s mountaintops is very sensitive and vulnerable to being trampled on by less-than-aware visitors, so following that piece I played a snippet of the Elvis Costello song “You Better Watch Your Step.”

Many other times I try to weave some appropriate acoustic guitar music or a contemplative jazz piece after a story to enhance and reflect on the meaning of what we’ve just heard. But most of the time, for the local breaks in the show I just like to play bits of some of my favorite music. It’s the same as the music I listen to at home or on long road trips in the car.

This has led to a very pleasant outpouring of correspondence from listeners who share my love for the music of the late great Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, as well as music by Vermont’s own Phish, Guagua, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. You’re also likely to hear a healthy dose of jazz by McCoy Tyner, and funk by bands like Soulive and The Meters.

The news can often be difficult to take, and sometimes music—even in brief excerpts—can provide a kind of respite to remind us of one of the great joys of life that’s universally shared. I’m grateful that VPR allows me the opportunity to express my musical tastes, and that so many VPR listeners have responded and shared their own as well."

Mitch Wertlieb