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Flushing Town Hall.
Queens, New York

Flushing Town Hall

This landmark building is now a vibrant performing arts space with musical acts from around the world.
Abbey of St. Evroul.
Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois, France

Ruins of Abbey of Saint-Evroul

This 1,400-year-old abbey was once a powerhouse for music and intellectualism known across Normandy.
Hurdy Gurdy.
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale Collection of Musical Instruments

A quirky assortment of musical marvels from around the world.
The glass armonica is a delicate and ethereal oddity.
music

Keeping the Ethereal Sounds of the Glass Armonica Alive

Ben Franklin's invention is still singing otherworldly songs to the few who know how to play it.
Eric Grundhauser January 23, 2018
music

Wishlist: Two Hours of Prince-Adjacent Funk From the Twin Cities

"Purple Snow" is full of boundary-pushing musicians from Minnesota.
Lex Berko January 10, 2018
The abbey was the birthplace of modern musical notation.
Pomposa, Italy

Pomposa Abbey

The 1,000-year-old abbey is the birthplace of modern musical notation.
Kurt Cobain's Benches.
Seattle, Washington

Kurt Cobain's Benches

A sliver of nostalgia in Seattle's Viretta Park.
Clara Rockmore, Master of the Theremin.
music

5 Secrets for Mastering the Theremin, From the Legendary Clara Rockmore

One of the world's first electronic music virtuosos left behind handy rules for playing the mysterious instrument.
Eric Grundhauser December 18, 2017
music

Dig This Look at the History of Jazz Slang

From alligator to zoot suit, jazz musicians speak about the language of the scene.
Ashawnta Jackson December 15, 2017
Only manufactured for one year, the Selenophone captured longer programs than other available devices.
objects of intrigue

The Selenophone, a Short-Lived, Highly Flammable Sound-Recording System

In an exhibit honoring the work of conductor Arturo Toscanini, there's an odd slice of recording technology.
Ashawnta Jackson December 8, 2017
This plant might be a Dr. George Milstein fan.
science

A Dentist-Turned-Horticulturalist Made a Record Just for Plants

Dr. George Milstein believed that all plants needed to grow was water, sunlight, nutrients, and a swinging-Sixties soundtrack.
Ashawnta Jackson November 30, 2017
Harley performing with Sonny Rollins at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974.
music

Meet Rufus Harley, the First Jazz Bagpiper

Jazz met the Highlands when Harley met the bagpipes.
Ashawnta Jackson November 10, 2017
The Kalamazoo Gals.
Kalamazoo, Michigan

The Old Gibson Guitar Factory

The Kalamazoo factory has 100 years of instrument-making, and one big wartime secret.
A 1970s Portapak. Affordable and portable video made it possible to democratize television.
television

The Revolution Was Televised, Thanks to This 25-Pound Video Rig

In the 1970s, the Portapak gave a voice to outsiders and changed media forever.
Ashawnta Jackson November 3, 2017
Just a bit of the BPL's 200,000-piece record collection.
libraries

Digitizing the Boston Public Library's Forgotten Record Collection

It will take years, but all 200,000 pieces of vinyl discovered in a basement will one day be available to the public.
Ashawnta Jackson October 24, 2017
The Wurlitzer 4/26, named for its four keyboards and 26 sets of different sounding pipes.
music

In Brooklyn, a Rare Concert Organ Takes a (Hopefully Temporary) Bow

Long Island University's 1928 Wurlitzer will go quiet for at least the next two years.
Ashawnta Jackson October 24, 2017
Henry VIII: Recorder Hero.
music

Celebrating Henry VIII's Love Affair With the Humble Recorder

The infamous king wrote original compositions for everyone's grade-school flute.
Eric Grundhauser October 17, 2017
Beatles Park
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Beatles Park

This small Arkansas town once had a close encounter with the Beatles, and are determined never to let anyone forget that. Ever.