Bay Area Beats

Bay Area Beats: DJ Atish on the art of mixing

Martina Castro — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:42:00 +0000

The chemistry between people on a dance floor and the DJ mixing for them is not something to take lightly. The DJ is like a combination of artist, entertainer, and performer – taking the crowd on a musical journey.

Bay Area Beats: Sarah Cahill

Martina Castro — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:03:44 +0000

Sarah Cahill is considered one of the architects and champions of the new music scene in the Bay Area. She founded the annual Garden of Memory concert at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, which is one of the many ways she tries to make contemporary music more accessible to a wider audience. She also does that Sunday nights on her radio show Then and Now on KALW on Sundays at 8pm. Cahill spoke with KALW's Martina Castro and played some songs for her, as she described why she ended up leaving the more formal classical world, for the freedom of the experimental genre.

Bay Area Beats: Will Sprott

Alyssa Kapnik — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:53:53 +0000

It may have the word “noise” in the title, but San Francisco's Noise Pop festival is all about highlighting the best indie art, film and music in the Bay Area. It kicks off tonight with concerts including Oakland’s Will Sprott.

Bay Area Beats: Bobby Hutcherson

David Ross — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:00:00 +0000

For more than 40 years, Bobby Hutcherson has lived a life most artists can only dream about. After making his name in the 1960s in New York as one of the youngest stars on the iconic jazz record label Blue Note, Hutcherson returned to his native California. He and his wife Rosemary settled into a new house near the San Mateo coast and raised a family, as Hutcherson built his international reputation and toured the world as one of the great jazz vibraphonists.

Bay Area Beats: Kelly McFarling finds her musical home in San Francisco

Martina Castro — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:28:46 +0000

Local musician Kelly McFarling wrote her song “Atlanta” as an ode to her hometown, but she didn’t write it – or any other song, as a matter of fact – until she settled into her current home in San Francisco. In this edition of Bay Area Beats, McFarling tells KALW’s Martina Castro why she credits San Francisco with helping her launch her musical career, and better understanding the idea of home.