American Routes: From a Useable Past to an Authentic Future

FAIN: TR-50565-14

Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund, The (New Orleans, LA 70118-5698)
Nicholas R. Spitzer (Project Director: January 2014 to present)

The production of 20 hours of radio programming addressing the role of music in shaping cultural memory and defining new cultural traditions.

"American Routes" public radio program requests that the NEH consider support for the "From a Useable Past to an Authentic Future" series of humanities topical programs, hour documentaries and embedded features. "American Routes" will produce 20 hours of programming addressing cultural memory and creativity combining to form a vision of the future -- expressed in words and music,with the critical advice, interpretation and/or interviews of humanities specialists and musicians. The series will explore ideas such as artist biographies shaped by memories and media of record; the particular shapes and roles of music, ritual and festival in a post-catastrophic environs, musical sharing and distinctions between cultures in both historic terms and newly emergent creolizations. Edited segments will be offered to "All Things Considered" and the NPR Music website.