Overview

Few people in recent memory have dedicated themselves as devotedly to the story of twentieth-century American music as Rob Kapilow, the composer, conductor, and host of the hit NPR music radio program, What Makes It Great? Now, in Listening for America, he turns his keen ear to the Great American Songbook, bringing many of our favorite classics to life through the songs and stories of eight of the twentieth century's most treasured American composers--Kern, Porter, Gershwin, Arlen, Berlin, Rodgers, Bernstein, and Sondheim. Hardly confining himself to celebrating what makes these catchy melodies so unforgettable, Kapilow delves deeply into how issues of race, immigration, sexuality, and appropriation intertwine in masterpieces like Show Boat and West Side Story. A book not just about musical theater but about America itself, Listening for America is equally for the devotee, the singer, the music student, or for anyone intrigued by how popular music has shaped the larger culture.

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Rob Kapilow is a composer, conductor, and music commentator who has traveled the world as a guest speaker and host of What Makes It Great? He lives in New Jersey and is the author of All You Have to Do Is Listen, among others. Paul Woodson has lived in the U.S. and England, received his BFA in acting at Boston University, and has been acting and singing since the age of thirteen. He has recorded close to 150 audiobooks in many different genres--including romance, fiction, history, biography, and mystery-and has performed in over 100 stage productions across the USA and Europe. He enjoys backpacking the Appalachian Trail in his spare time. He is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

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