A New York themed episode this week, featuring University of Alabama Ethnomusicologist (and fellow native Long Islander) Jennifer Caputo. We discuss New York traffic (01:30), her story of arriving at Alabama (03:05), growing up in West Islip, NY (18:25), transitioning from violin to percussion (23:55), her high school years doing show choir, dance, and playing drumset for pit band (37:15), going to Queens College (CUNY) for undergrad (54:15), dealing with a comment from the crowd for her junior recital (01:09:30), working for Ethos Percussion Group before heading to Tufts University for her Master's (01:11:05), her master's thesis on Italian American Religious Festivals in Boston's North End (01:19:10), working on her Ph.d. at Wesleyan (CT) (01:29:40), researching in Southern Italy (01:35:00), and moving from the Northeast to the Deep South (01:42:20).
Closes with a rave on a special version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (01:52:40).
Links:
Jennifer Caputo's Alabama page
Triborough Bridge (Now RFK Bridge)
Random Show Choir Cole Porter Performance
Journey Through a Japanese Landscape - Thea Musgrave
Raves:
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" - The Partridge Family