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PODCAST · music

How Music Does That

by Dale McGowan

Music -- just vibrations in the air -- can make you feel heartbroken or elated, peaceful or stabby, inspired to save the whales or to invade Poland. This is HOW MUSIC DOES THAT. Click the website link to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episodes

  1. The 1977 Line

    One film score changed everything.

  2. The Haunting of Figure 8

    Schoolhouse Rock was always great. But the music from one particular episode has haunted us down the years.

  3. How MUZAK Does That

    How did wall-to-wall music find its way into every public space? Meet General George Squier.

  4. Riffing on Each Other

    How a few inaccurate jingles came to represent entire cultures.

  5. Anatomy of an Earworm

    After a month at the mercy of an earworm, I found the cure. Then it all went wrong.

  6. When the Music Doesn't Trust You

    The mark of a great film score is knowing when to shut up.

  7. Unsung

    They are some of your favorite artists of all time. And you don't even know their names.

  8. The King of Space-Age Pop!

    HOW MUSIC DOES THAT returns with a Mexican bandleader whose coloristic imagination defined the sound of the space age.

  9. Clap When You Damn Well Please [Encore]

    The revolution starts right damn now.

  10. The Bagpipe Incident on Which I Thought We Had Agreed Not to Dwell [Encore]

    30,000 people. 16 measures. One bad decision.

  11. The Evolution of Cool [Encore]

    The quality of 'cool' in music has deep evolutionary roots in the brain.

  12. Grooves [Encore]

    In Hungary, road plays you!

  13. Beethoven Was Deaf [Encore]

    That's not the amazing part.

  14. Silence [Encore]

    Sometimes the greatest moment in music is the one you don't hear.

  15. Where Did We Put Vivaldi? [Encore]

    After greatness came one bad decision—and then, the forgetting.

  16. Encore: Stop Practicing, You're Ruining EVERYTHING

    Sometimes it's supposed to hurt.

  17. ENCORE: The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

    Eight hundred years ago, they left the church and found the world.

  18. ENCORE: The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

    Put on the good Dockers, Chad. We're going in.

  19. ENCORE: The Bones of Yellow Brick Road

    Most covers stay on the surface. Sara Bareilles got down into the bones.

  20. ENCORE: The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

    Let's have a wild time.

  21. The Worst Song In The World

    It could be worse. Just kidding.

  22. The Man Who Tried to Strangle Film Music in Its Crib

    Sternberg didn't like film music—until he needed it.

  23. ENCORE: As White as Classical

    Classical music isn't that white by accident -- and it can't afford to stay that way.

  24. When You Were Twelve

    If you love a song you don't really care about, see if it's from the year you were 12.

  25. When Mind and Music Fall Apart

    Can music capture the experience of dementia?

  26. Dickinson's Island, and Other Unholy Monsters

    When I was a boy, I sat bored in church, trying to break a code.

  27. The Unwiggled String

    Children are taught to fear and avoid this sound. All the more reason to love it.

  28. The Long Way Home in 'Hallelujah'

    The lyrics are poetic and evocative. But let's talk about that long trip home.

  29. Black Shanty

    Sea shanties grew in black soil.

  30. Where Did We Put Vivaldi?

    Antonio Vivaldi was a very big deal -- and then he wasn't. But he had a plan.

  31. TikTok and the Hypnotics

    For a few weeks, TikTok forged an unholy alliance of banjo, yodeling, and scientific notation.

  32. TikTok and the Vibe

    Sometimes you find the Vibe. Sometimes the Vibe finds you.

  33. Music is Made of Time

    The fact that music unfolds over time is key to understanding its unique power.

  34. The Deep Playlist of Generation Z

    'Wait a minute - how do YOU know Purple Haze?!'

  35. Yeah, But Why THOSE 4 Chords?

    It has to do with monkeys, somehow.

  36. Whose Monkey Chant Is It Anyway?

    It's an electrifying cry from the ancient heart of Bali. Or is it?

  37. As White as Classical

    Classical music isn't that white by accident -- and it can't afford to stay that way.

  38. The Words Get In the Way

    Strip language away, and the human voice becomes a pure instrument of emotion.

  39. Shortcut: How I Solved the Musical Mystery of My Life

    One tune tormented me since I was two. I finally figured out why.

  40. The Epitome Trap

    Before every music course I teach, I have the same argument with myself.

  41. Minimal.

    One of the most powerful stylistic movements in music starts with a simple idea.

  42. The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

    Put on the good Dockers, Chad. We're going in.

  43. When Ravel Met Ravel

    Piano Ravel and Orchestra Ravel are both great. They met only twice.

  44. Clap When You Damn Well Please

    There's a reason we don't clap between movements in classical music. It's a bad reason, and we're going to kill it. The revolution starts right damn now.

  45. Silence

    Sometimes the greatest moment in music is silence.

  46. The Dead and the Impossible

    Mussorgsky asked the impossible. Ravel made it happen.

  47. Grooves

    In Hungary, road plays you!

  48. Too Many Notes!

    WARNING: This episode contains too many notes.

  49. The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

    Eight hundred years ago, they left the church and found the world.

  50. Missing Music

    I'm haunted by the music I'll never hear.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Music -- just vibrations in the air -- can make you feel heartbroken or elated, peaceful or stabby, inspired to save the whales or to invade Poland. This is HOW MUSIC DOES THAT.

Click the website link to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

HOSTED BY

Dale McGowan

CATEGORIES

music

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does How Music Does That have?

How Music Does That currently has 87 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is How Music Does That about?

Music -- just vibrations in the air -- can make you feel heartbroken or elated, peaceful or stabby, inspired to save the whales or to invade Poland. This is HOW MUSIC DOES THAT. Click the website link to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How often does How Music Does That release new episodes?

How Music Does That has 87 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to How Music Does That?

You can listen to How Music Does That on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts How Music Does That?

How Music Does That is created and hosted by Dale McGowan.
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