Write On! A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk-acoustic tradition, although this role has transmuted through different eras of popular music. Get a Great Gift with Your Donation! Your contribution helps WPKN, a 501(c)(3) organization. Al Bell celebrates the Blues and R&B, playing songs in accordance with his own unique desire to hear one creative piece in juxtaposition with the next. Learn More What inspires me about ‘PKN is that amidst all the differences, there is a ...

Host Joseph Celli presents Soundprint: Asia a program of music from Japan/Okinawa, Korea, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Tibet, Mongolia, & elsewhere in Asia. Included with the traditional court, folk, & religious music are occasional interviews with Asian musicians, World Premieres, and historical context about the music, musicians, & instruments. Celli said, “Unfortunately, we tend to think of Asia as being homogeneous, but it actually has more musical diversity and individuality than most places in the world.” Programs range from the overtone singing of Tuva, the ecstatic Gamelan of Indonesia, and the elegant court music of Korea, Japan, & Cambodia. Information about upcoming concerts of Asian music, exhibitions & an ...

My Other Music (MOM) with Joseph Celli is a wide-ranging interest in Western classical, R&B, experimental & avant-garde, Cajun, Latin, and the whole history of American Jazz. YES! The whole history from early 20th century to new explorations in improvisation. Joseph Celli is an American musician and composer specializing in contemporary and improvised music for oboe and English horn. In addition, he plays the Yamaha WX7 MIDI breath controller, as well as double reed instruments from several Asian cultures, including the Korean hojok and piri, and the Indian mukha vina. His early training was as a jazz saxophonist which allowed him to work his way through ...

Best of 2021 Join WPKN for the last fundraising event of the year: Best of 2021 from 7 am to 10 pm on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. This is your last opportunity to give for the year, capitalizing on the tax benefits of donating to a 501(c)(3) organization, WPKN 89.5 FM Independent Community Radio. Our volunteer-based, passion-driven community thanks you for your kind support now, and every day of the year! Get a Great Gift with Your Donation! Your contribution helps WPKN, a 501(c)(3) organization. WPKN General Manager Music has always been front and center for me. It’s beyond therapeutic. ...

Muscle Shoals Sound Join WPKN on December 16 and 17 for a special fundraiser celebrating the Muscle Shoals Sound. In 1969, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, widely referred to as “The Swampers” started a recording studio. The founders, Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Jimmy Johnson, were originally session musicians at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios and, together with Hall, they created the “Muscle Shoals Sound.” The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section provided musical backing and arrangements for major hits by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and the Staple Singers. Success in soul and R&B prompted rock and pop performers to record at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Recordings included Elkie Brooks, ...

Join us on November 22-23 for a special fundraiser celebrating the inimitable Joni Mitchell. It’s a day of music, stories and fun as we take a look at the impact and accomplishments of one of this decade’s greatest living artists. A true favorite of WPKN programmers and listeners alike, we are delighted to be dedicated to all things Joni and will have special premiums including a brand new, totally unique t-shirt in her honor (designed by Wendy Flanagan and hand-screened by Liz Squillace). Get a Great Gift with Your Donation! Your contribution helps WPKN, a 501(c)(3) organization. What inspires me about ...

BRILL BUILDING A two-day fundraising special – September 9-10! The Brill Building is located at 1619 Broadway and 49th St. in New York City. The 11 story building was built in 1931 and is famous for housing music industry offices and studios where some of the most popular American songs were written. It dominating the pop charts in the early 1960s. The “Brill” name comes from a haberdasher who operated a store at street level and bought the building. Composers and Lyricists at the Brill Building Burt Bacharach, Jeff Barry, Bert Berns, Bobby Darin, Hal David, Neil Diamond, Luther Dixon, Sherman Edwards, Buddy Feyne, Gerry Goffin, Howard Greenfield, Ellie ...

Join WPKN for a two-day special on June 24 with Summer of Love Disco and June 25 with Summer of Love songs! You know that special song that screams IT’S SUMMER!!! to you. The one you played over and over while you got your summer groove on. We're going to share it with the world! As we are seeing an end to the pandemic restrictions, the Summer of Love special will kick-off several unique opportunities for you to help position WPKN for a sustainable future in our new location. Check out our WPKN MOVE giving opportunities. Special thanks to Martha Willette Lewis for supplying the Summer of Love artwork, ...

80 Years - Bob Dylan Birthday Special celebrates Bob Dylan who has been a major figure in popular culture for more than 6 decades. Born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist. Some of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963) and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (1964) became anthems for civil rights and anti-war movements. In 1965 and 1966, Dylan drew controversy when he adopted electrically amplified rock instrumentation, and within 15 months recorded three of the most important and influential rock albums of the 1960s: Bringing It All Back Home (1965), Highway 61 Revisited (1965), ...

Jazz Love Songs: An all-day music and fundraising special only at WPKN 89.5 FM and streaming at WPKN.org. No genre does it better, and nothing says, “I love you” like jazz. If your theme for February is romance, the volunteers at WPKN want you to know how they feel: We LOVE our listening audience! Over the course of the day, we’ll be reading Valentine’s Day Tributes from our listening audience to their loved ones. Donations from this fundraiser will be used for the station operations, allowing our continued success. Cliff brings music little heard on the radio or the mainstream. Learn More What inspires me ...