In this live taping of Access Contemporary Music’s award-winning podcast Relevant Tones we’ll talk with McWhorter about the development of language and perform several new pieces of music inspired by and incorporating language and created especially for this evening.
“There are approximately six thousand languages on Earth today, each a descendant of the tongue first spoken by Homo sapiens some 150,000 years ago.” – The Power of Babel by John McWhorter
John McWhorter teaches linguistics, philosophy, and music history at Columbia University, and writes for the New York Times on language and race issues. His book The Power of Babel is the first book written for the layperson about the history of language.
Produced by Access Contemporary Music in association with Esopus Foundation, Ltd. Featuring new music for violin, electric guitar and cello by Noah and Rosie K, Will Rowe, David Crowell and Seth Boustead.
MUSIC
Babel by Noah and Rosie K
A Hydra’s Guide to Parenting by Will Rowe
Semantics by Seth Boustead
2 Hours in Zadar by David Crowell
Performed by:
Iva Cassian-Lakos – cello
Jay Sorce – electric guitar
Suliman Tekali – violin