Rebecca McInroy

V&B: Miles Davis and The Making of Blue Part II

It was an amazing evening at the Cactus Cafe September 20th, when KUT’s Views and Brews discussed Miles Davis and the Making of Kind of Blue: Jazz and the Art of Indirection.

Miles Davis was known as the master of understatement. In his seminal work, Kind of Blue (1959), he helped to define a concept of cool that remains relevant. What lurks behind an image? What music is expressed in the notes that are not played?

As part of KUT’s Views and Brews series we engaged in a spirited discussion about Miles, his music, his relationships with his musicians, and the good and evil expended in the art of creation — and we enjoyed the incredible live music inspired by his work.

V&B: Native American Music and the Blues

He also explained that musicologists observe that everywhere that people live close to the earth, their music is based on the universal pentatonic scale. Anishinaabe artist Keith Secola is fond of saying that “water will eventually seep into even the thickest rubber boots.” By this he’s going back to the Native principle that we are of the land, that the earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth and the closer we are to her, her music will eventually seep into us. So in other words, much of what you hear in the blues (and its branches, jazz and rock) is the song of the land here in the U.S. — the Earthsong. And so it comes full-circle.

V&B: Charles Mingus and The Art of Enigma

Charles Mingus is considered one of the most creative and original voices in American jazz. Uniquely sensitive to the plight of the dispossessed, he challenged his musical ensembles to be improvisatory acts of collective inspiration — responding to the matters of the moment.

The music that Mingus wrote was rooted in standard musical forms and grounded in the blues. At KUT’s Views and Brews Rabbi Neil Blumofe and KUT’s Rebecca McInroy looked at how interpretation of these forms in performance might bring about the transformation of a musician, a listener, and potentially, the world.

The Cactus was packed (standing room only) and the music performed by our all-star quintet was hot! We discussed Mingus, his music, his relationships with his musicians and audience, as well as the agony and the ecstasy he expended in communicating his vision.

Musical Guests
Roscoe Beck , bass
Brannen Temple, drums
Sam Lipman, saxophone
Freddie Mendoza, trombone
Rich Harney, piano

V&B: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen just celebrated his 78th birthday while on a world tour with his new album “Old Ideas” and Oct. 31 and Nov. 01 he and his band kicked off the US portion of this tour right here in Austin, TX. KUT’s Views and Brews had the pleasure of hosting Roscoe Beck , Cohen’s collaborator, producer, bassist and local Austinite, and Sylvie Simmons, author of I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen , along with Sharon Robinson, The Webb Sisters, Javier Mas, Mitch Watkins, Alexandru Bublitchi, and Rafael Gayol to explore the life and art of living legend Leonard Cohen.

V&B: Art Blakey and The Art of Revolution

What is in a sound? What qualities are necessary to lead a band for many decades? What passions helped to make Blakey’s music distinctive and propel it forward, representing a particular activism and identity? Listen back to our discussion about Blakey, his music, and his legacy and enjoy the superlative performances from some incredible musicians.

Featuring:
Rabbi Neil Blumofe in discussion with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with musicians Brannen Temple, drums; Ephraim Owens, trumpet; Sam Lipman, saxophone; Freddie Mendoza, Trombone; Dr. James Polk, Piano; Roscoe Beck, Bass.

V&B: Billie Holiday and The Art of Persona

Billie Holiday once said, “No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music.” In a recent Views and Brews from KUT radio recorded live at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas we explored just that with Billie Holiday and the Art of Persona.

Listen in as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy hosts Rabbi Neil Blumofe along with a live band including, Brannen Temple on drums, Sam Lipman with Saxophone, Daniel Durham on bass, Ephraim Owens on trumpet, Wiliam Menefield on piano and the vocal talents of Austin’s own Pamela Hart, for an hour of conversation, exploration and great music!

How to Navigate Road Rage

Oh, the woes of modern life in a metropolitan city center. What’s going on in our brains when we encounter that familiar feeling of intense frustration while driving in traffic that we comically refer to as ROAD RAGE? The Two Guys on Your Head will break it down in this week’s episode of the show.

Why Meetings Feel Like They Take Forever – and How to Fight That

Does size matter when it comes to meetings? Actually, yes. It’s not a myth. Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to meetings, it’s better to keep it on the small side. Short and sweet is best.

Efficiency of the shared time spent during a meeting is a primary determinant of its potential for effectiveness. The Two Guys, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, break down the best practices to ensure that the meetings you call will achieve their intended purpose.

What’s Happening Inside Your Head When You Sleep

We need to sleep for a host of reasons, but what exactly is happening in our brains while we’re unconscious? We’ve only scratched the surface of understanding all that happens during sleep, but we do know that while our bodies are resting, our brains are very busy.

Have you ever tried to commit some skill or knowledge to memory and you magically perform better after a night of sleep? It’s not magic. One of the most significant functions of sleep is the process of memory consolidation: experiences you’ve had during the day, things you’ve started to store in your memory, become consolidated and stabilized during sleep. Different stages of sleep function to consolidate different kinds of memory, so a full night of sleep (six to nine hours on average), helps your memory function more cohesively.

Take in what professors Bob Duke and Art Markman have to say in the players above. Then have a nap, to refresh and consolidate what you’ve learned. Sleep is a lot more than just rest; do yourself a favor and get the sleep that your brain and the rest of your body needs.

Originally aired June 9, 2013.

V&B: Primate Social Behavior

Views and Brews joined Hot Science-Cool Talks for this special edition on primate social behavior. Listen back to Doctors Anthony DiFiore and Rebecca Lewis, both biological anthropologists at the University of Texas at Austin who study several species of primates and primate social behavior, as they talk with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy about the what we have in common with monkeys and apes, how they got into the field, and what to look out for in the years to ahead.

How Metaphors Transform Simple Words Into Complex Concepts

Do you ever have those moments when you just can’t find the right words to express your thought? They happen. Articulation isn’t always easy. Sometimes, words or language alone just don’t accurately express the complexity of the thought. At those times, it can be very helpful to use an analogy or a metaphor to illustrate the fullness of the concept being expressed. Analogies and metaphors allow us to communicate complex concepts or ideas that transcend simple words.

How Our Brains Process Time

Time flies when you’re having fun, the old saying goes. But how can time – maybe the most fundamental concept of the universe – feel different under different conditions? Our brains perceive time differently in different circumstances. When we pay close attention to something, tedium can set in and it can feel like time slows to a crawl. Conversely, if our lives demand we juggle several different things at once, we tend to pay less attention to some activities – and time races by in a flash.

How Going Out is Good for Your Brain

Human beings are a social species. Our natural programming requires a certain amount of social contact with other people. Shared experiences are simply a fundamental component of our needs as humans. We don’t just have a need for direct interaction and verbal communication either – there’s all sorts of nonverbal communicative actions we take in the presence of others that we wouldn’t do alone. In this installment of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take us through the psychological benefits of “going out” and mingling with our fellow humans.

V&B: Cowboy Poetry Set to Music

Graphic designer DJ Stout and Austin-based composer and pianist Graham Reynolds talk about their collaboration that illustrates the power of regionalism and the beauty of home on a global stage. Stout of Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy, will discuss his latest publication featuring cowboy poets from West Texas, as Reynolds performs a live score along with the presentation. This will be a version of the performance they gave at the Design Indaba conference in Cape Town in February 2014.

Along with their presentation they’ll talk about what it means to bring your home and your place into your work, however international it may be. Why is it important to “go back to your roots”? What is the role of home and history is 21st Century graphic design? What was the reception in Cape Town to this Texas project?

How to Crush Writer’s Block

Writer’s block! That phrase might induce panic and a recollection of a familiar experience. It’s a very common phenomenon. So what is it? When in the beginning stages of undertaking a new writing project, a writer might find themselves blocked – stuck in front of a blank page or screen with no thoughts coming to mind. This lack of creative flow is further exacerbated by anxiety over the lack of production – making it a self-perpetuating cycle that can lead to stagnation. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explain the ins and outs of how and why we sometimes get stuck – and what we can do to help ourselves in those difficult situations.

V&B: The Great War and Its Legacy, 100 Years Later

In partnership with the Harry Ransom Center, Views and Brews discussed the recent exhibition “The World at War, 1914–1918.” The exhibit marks the centenary of the start of World War I, and seeks to recover the deeply personal experience of the war.

Listen back as Rabbi Neil Blumofe and Ransom Center curators Elizabeth Garver and Jean Cannon join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy to explore the layered causes, complicated effects and penetrating propaganda of a war that forever changed our relationship to grief, industry, faith and one another.

Why All Praise is Not Created Equal

“Hey, you’re smart!” That feels good to hear, doesn’t it? Praise always feels good, but not all praise motivates us to try new things, challenge ourselves, or deal with failure. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how to praise in a productive and meaningful way. In summary, when giving or receiving praise, it’s a helpful skill to think about where that praise is directed.

V&B: Steven Weinberg – A Life in Science

Steven Weinberg is Nobel laureate in Physics and theoretical physicist who is an outspoken thinker on topics ranging from nuclear weapons to atheism. Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy as she sits down with Weinberg to talk about the extraordinary life and career of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.

Why Personality Tests Don’t Tell What You Need To Know

When it comes to the Myers-Briggs personality type test, are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you focus on sensing, or do you use your intuition to interpret information that you absorb? Does it matter? Why is it so entertaining and satisfying for some people to answer these questions about themselves and others in their lives? Listen to the show and let the Two Guys, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, demystify the wiry world of personality tests for you.

What’s Going On Inside the Adolescent Brain?

There are endless questions we could ask about how the brain works. A particularly interesting one: what’s unique about the brain during adolescence? During adolescence our brains are wired differently than adult brains will be – and for good reason. In adolescence our brains are in a process of development – so we’re less inhibited, allowing us to take the risks we need to learn about the world. In addition, the difference in brain physiology has other ramifications on behavior and needs. Ignoring them can make life more difficult for kids and parents.