Arts & Culture

So far in KALW News’ series of conversations about sound, we’ve taken you to the planetarium of the California Academy of Sciences, and to the unique San Francisco sound theater called Audium.

For this segment of “Audiophiles,“ where we talk with the most creative minds working in sound, we want you to close your eyes and imagine you've walked into a diner…

MARTINA CASTRO: You go up to the jukebox, throw in your quarter and pick a random song. It sounds like a pretty cool song, but listen closely…

PAMELA WINFREY: I'm sure we've all had days like that, haven't we?

Okay, so this is clearly not a regular jukebox, and we're not in a diner. The woman you just heard is…

Older generations often want to impart lessons learned to those that follow, but one Oakland-based project doesn't want to leave that exchange up to chance. Question Bridge: Black Males is a video art installation that features over 150 black males from eleven American cities and towns. The men of all ages, classes, and sexual orientations, take turns asking and answering questions on big life topics, such as love, family, and violence. The project aims to promote constructive dialogue between black men and the rest of the nation, but also to break down limiting stereotypes about black male identity.

The sounds you’re hearing are from The Evie Ladin Band, out of Oakland. You may know Evie Ladin as a major part of the Stairwell Sisters. But she also has this band, under her own name. They’ll be playing at a square dance on Friday (05.18) at the Niebyl Proctor Library in Oakland, starting about 8pm. And if you’re interested, there’s a workshop on clog-dancing beforehand, at 6:30pm.