Word Musicians

A word said over and over becomes a series of sounds without meaning, with no discernable beginning or end. Radio Lab this week showcases word musicians who delight in the intricacies of language and the point at which meaning moves from verbal to sonic…plus, music psychologist Diana Deutsch explains. Slave Show to Video If you swear by American Heritage Definitions, you just might get away with calling this a poem. Even though Tracie Morris uses JUST THREE WORDS, repeated over and over, like a litany, this is very much "A verbal experience designed to convey ideas and emotions in a vivid and imaginative way." Writer/Performer: Tracie Morris Originally as part of the Whitney Biennial 2002 First aired on The Next Big Thing Diana Deutsch – “Sometimes They Behave So Strangely” Warning: The phrase - “sometimes they behave so strangely” – is a meme. It will infect your brain. You will never be able to hum any other tune, ever. But at least you’ll know just how tenuous the connection is between speech and song. Psychologist Diana Deutsch, of the University of California at San Diego, explains… We interviewed Diana Deutsch with the help of NPR member station WKUSC. Blue Candy Before a memory is spoken, it exists as a kaleidoscope of fragments - images, voices and moments. Poet/performance artist/musician Carl Hancock Rux translates into poetry the process of piecing it together. Carl’s new album, Apothecary RX, will be released in early 2004. Performed for the Next Big Thing. Robert Ashley – Celestial Excursions One of our preeminent modern composers, Robert Ashley shuns typical European influences and instead finds inspiration for his high velocity Operas in the thrilling pace of AM Radio. A brief interview… Diana Deutsch – Paradoxes and Musical Illusions We continue our conversation with UCSD Psychologist Diana Deutsch. This time, she tricks our ears into hearing words and phrases that aren’t there, like “love” and “diet coke” and “give it to me!” She also offers one possible explanation for why Mandarin, Vietnamese and Chinese speaking cultures consistently produce amazing musical talent: they speak “tone languages.” Gregory Whitehead Audio adventurer and playwright Gregory Whitehead stops in to the Lab to talk and perform several of his audio cartoons (that's what he calls them): includes "Evil Axis" (fun with a loaded phrase) "The Meaning of M.A.R.T.H.A" (Stewart, that is) "Eva Can I Stab Bats In A Cave?" (palindromic bliss) and "Bugs Bardo Radio" (a riddle). Yma Dream A story for people with difficult (but musical) names. "Yma Dream" chronicles a bizarre evening of tongue twisters and tolling bells. Written by Thomas Meehan, originally published in the New Yorker Magazine in 1962. Read by Christine Baranski. Reading taken from WNYC's Selected Shorts, recorded live at Symphony Space. Thomas Meehan has written the books for the Broadway shows "Annie," "The Producers" and "Hairspray."