Episodios

  • The Indiana Brothers discuss their work in Carnatic music

    The Indiana Brothers discuss their work in Carnatic music
    Jun 25 2025
    The Indiana Brothers are a Carnatic music duo from Central Indiana, featuring twin brothers Sarvagh Shrianandh and Suragh Shrianandh. Though they’re just 20 years old, the Indiana Brothers have been studying and performing Carnatic music for several years. The Indiana Brothers have performed frequently across the Midwest United States. The duo has also played dates on the West Coast and India. Carnatic music is a traditional form, of South Indian classical music characterized by intricate melodies, complex rhythmic patterns and devotional lyrics. Both Sarvagh and Suragh attend Purdue University. WFYI’s Kyle Long recently caught up with the brothers during a break from their studies.
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    30 m
  • Multimedia artist Jessica Dunn creates surrealistic electronic soundscapes

    Multimedia artist Jessica Dunn creates surrealistic electronic soundscapes
    Jun 25 2025
    includes animation, painting, sound design, and interactive installations. In her hometown Indianapolis, Jessica is perhaps best known for her work with Brain Twins, a creative studio she co-leads with Justin Shimp, specializing in animation and design. Jessica also teaches at the Herron School of Art + Design, where she’s an Associate Faculty member in Drawing and Illustration. In recent years, Jessica has gained notoriety for her work in music, creating experimental electronic soundscapes under the name Eeeka. Along with Michael Moskaliuk, she’s also part of the minimal synth-pop duo Gümmi.
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    21 m
  • The past and present of the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering

    The past and present of the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering
    Jun 18 2025
    For over 50 years, the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering has attracted old-time music fans to Battle Ground, Indiana, for a weekend of concerts, workshops and jam sessions. This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to interviews with musicians and organizers connected to the festival, including Dave Samuelson, Cliff Harrison, and fiddle player Stephanie Coleman. Coleman began performing at the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering as a child. Along with her musical partner Nora Brown, she’s one of the headliners at this year’s festival. You might have seen their recent performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk. The Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering began in 1972. Back then, it wasn’t a festival, just a loose circle of musicians and friends gathering under the trees at the Tippecanoe Battlefield, to share their love of old-time fiddle music. What began as a casual gathering of local fiddlers has grown into a nationally respected festival featuring a wide range of American roots music and international fiddle styles, including bluegrass, jazz, Creole, Irish, Mexican, and Scandinavian fiddlers. Over the years, the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering has hosted celebrated names in traditional music, including Mike Seeger, John Hartford, Johnny Gimble, Jethro Burns and many others. It also gave early exposure to future stars like Alison Krauss and Chris Thile, who performed at the festival as teenagers.
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    45 m
  • Beach Boys’ founder Brian Wilson on the influence of Indianapolis’ The Four Freshmen

    Beach Boys’ founder Brian Wilson on the influence of Indianapolis’ The Four Freshmen
    Jun 11 2025
    Listen to a 2017 interview WFYI’s Kyle Long recorded with Brian Wilson, the visionary composer and producer behind the Beach Boys. He died on June 11, 2025, at the age of 82. The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 100 million records and charting 37 songs in the U.S. Top 40. Much of that success was due to Wilson’s visionary production style. which included unorthodox instrumentation, innovative recording techniques, and most notably the band’s iconic vocal harmonies. Those trademark vocal harmonies were directly inspired by the Indianapolis group The Four Freshmen. The Four Freshmen were formed on the campus of Butler University in 1948. Wilson credited the Four Freshmen as his main influence in crafting the Beach Boys’ sound. Wilson was such a big fan, he even recruited Four Freshmen arranger Dick Reynolds to work on several Beach Boys projects. During his conversation with WFYI, Wilson discussed his deep appreciation for The Four Freshmen.
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    6 m
  • Indianapolis composer Hanna Benn debuts new work with the ISO

    Indianapolis composer Hanna Benn debuts new work with the ISO
    Jun 11 2025
    This June, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will premiere a new work from the Indianapolis composer, vocalist and musician Hanna Benn. Benn’s piece is a double concerto for oboe and bassoon titled "A Through Line." Listen to an interview with Hanna Benn, along with ISO’s principal oboe Jennifer Christen and principal bassoon Ivy Ringel. Benn’s solo work defies classification, featuring intricate vocal layering with refined electronic production. She’s contributed to high profile projects across the modern music landscape. As a vocalist, she can be heard on Meshell Ndegeocello’s Grammy winning album "The Omnichord Real Book" and the Academy Award nominated soundtrack for "Everything Everywhere All at Once." As a composer, her work has been performed at Carnegie Hall.
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    11 m
  • Fort Wayne’s Nitish Kulkarni explores Indian American identity on Indigo

    Fort Wayne’s Nitish Kulkarni explores Indian American identity on Indigo
    Jun 4 2025
    Listen to an interview with Fort Wayne, Indiana-based musician, composer, arranger and producer Nitish Kulkarni. His latest album Indigo blends traditional Indian music with contemporary electronic sounds. Kulkarni began his musical journey as a tabla player, later expanding to keyboards and production. He released his debut album Synesthetic in 2015, and since then he’s released a steady stream of recordings. In addition to his solo work, Kulkarni has performed alongside legendary artists like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Shridhar Phadke.
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    41 m
  • The Gary, Indiana composer Jlin is revolutionizing electronic music

    The Gary, Indiana composer Jlin is revolutionizing electronic music
    May 28 2025
    Listen to an interview with the acclaimed Gary, Indiana composer and electronic music producer Jlin. Her music has been praised by Pitchfork, NPR, Vogue, Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and she’s collaborated with artists including Björk and Philip Glass. Born Jerrilynn Patton in 1987, Jlin’s bold, genre-defying work has reshaped the landscape of experimental electronic music. Her rhythmically dense and emotionally intense style emerged from footwork, a high-speed dance music rooted in the underground music culture of Chicago. But Jlin’s sound evolved over time, becoming an unmistakably original voice that transcends categorization. Jlin rose to prominence with her 2015 debut Dark Energy. The album was immediately hailed as a landmark in contemporary electronic music. Both The Quietus and The Wire named it Album of the Year, and Pitchfork included Dark Energy in its Top 20 Albums of 2015. Her follow-up album, Black Origami further solidified her status as a leading avant-garde composer. The album received almost universal acclaim, with The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, and The Guardian including Black Origami in their the Best Albums of 2017 lists. Jlin’s latest, album Akoma has also garnered widespread critical acclaim. Beyond her solo releases, Jlin’s influence has expanded into the worlds of dance, classical music, and performance art. She has composed for the renowned Kronos Quartet and her music has been used by choreographers including Wayne McGregor and Kyle Abraham. Despite her international recognition, Jlin has remained firmly rooted in her hometown Gary, Indiana.
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    35 m
  • Taylor Hall / Jenny Boyts

    Taylor Hall / Jenny Boyts
    May 21 2025
    Listen to an interview with the musician and activist Taylor Hall. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so Hall chose the month of May to release her latest collection of songs, Cheaper Than Therapy. During her recent conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, Hall said she hopes the project will help to destigmatize mental health and provide her fans with a message of hope. Also hear a conversation with Jenny Boyts, CEO of Forty5, a locally owned Indianapolis production company specializing in live music events. Forty5 owns and operates local venues including The Vogue and Turntable, and produces live concert series like Rock the Ruins at Holiday Park. Boyts rose to prominence in Indianapolis through her work with Indy Pride, serving as Indy Pride’s board president for 4 years. Boyts says the relationships she created while building community with Indy Pride have informed her work with Forty5.
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    50 m