This week’s episode of Signal & Form is for Black History Month — but not in the usual way.
Rather than telling a simple story of triumph, I’m exploring “Structure and Access.” How do composers find expression when artistic recognition is mediated by conservatories, orchestras, critics, record labels, and archives? What happens when they translate vernacular traditions into institutional forms — or build entirely new institutions of their own?
We’ll hear music from early spiritual arrangements through the AACM, Afrofuturism, and contemporary orchestral writing.
If you’re curious about experimental music, compositional systems, and the architecture of listening, this one’s for you.
This Tuesday, from 5:00 to 7:00 PST. Signal & Form on KTRT 97.5 FM... The Root. Or stream at radioroot.com.