The Story from APM

Music for Quake Victims

Friday, January 22 2010

music for quake victims

Phil Kates

Less than two years ago, the airwaves were filled with reports of another devastating earthquake. In May 2008, the Sichuan quake rocked Central China - almost 70,000 people were killed, and millions were left homeless. Phil Kates had been following the news of the earthquake as the Philadelphia Orchestra made its way from Tokyo to Seoul to Beijing. He wasn’t sure what to do. He wrote in his journal - “what possible use could a violin player be to children suffering from the end of their world?” Yet in his almost 30 years with the orchestra he’s learned the power of music. He went, by himself, to play for children who were living in the tent cities. Dick Gordon talks with Phil about bringing the job of music to people devastated by loss after an earthquake. This story originally aired June 18, 2008.

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Music in this  show performed by Phil Kates: "The Bird" by Henry Kates; "Gavotte" by Francois Gossec; "Waltz in D (Plink Plunk)" by Carl Maria von Weber. Other music: "Etude in E Major (Op 10 No. 3)" by Frédéric Chopin, performed by Daniel Pollack

POEMS FOR OBAMA

Rachel Zucker was on the phone with a friend the day before President Obama's inauguration, when the two poets had a eureka moment. They decided to find 100 poets who would sign up to write a poem for each of Obama's first 100 days in office. That little project has since been turned in to a book that is on bookshelves now. A longer version of this story aired February 9, 2009.

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FAREWELL JACK MULLOWNEY

Jack Mullowney, more >>

Jack Mullowney passed away recently at age 91. Jack was, to his knowledge, the oldest commodities trader who was still going to work each day. He worked until three weeks before his death.

Dick spoke with Jack about the economic crisis last year. At the time, Jack’s thoughts weren‘t all about strategy. He said that simply having a brighter attitude would help all of us - even the markets - get through the crisis. We remember Jack Mullowney today on The Story. A longer version of this story aired on  March 19, 2009.

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