It's as if CBC Radio Two read my mind - driving home from work today, I decided to listen to Rich Terfry's show (at least the beginning of it). His first selection? "Love is the End" by Keane...Keane!!! Keane just screams British-emo-indie-pop!!!
Funny thing? I like Keane. And I liked the song. But it was something that could be played on either the independent radio station, or the 'lite' radio station where I live. Why is a pop sensation band being broadcast to a national audience?! It really bothers me that there is no classical option for listeners tuning into the radio between 3 p.m. - 10 a.m.
And in the words of Monty Python "And now for something completely different"...all I'm going to say is...two weeks...two weeks baby.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The demise of CBC Radio Two - RIP
Having lamented the semi-recent changes introduced to CBC Radio Two to a friend, he suggested I write a blog regarding the issue. So here is my editorial.
To begin I should state that I am a musician - primarily a Classical musician, raised through Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music and also through the Suzuki program (strings). So I love playing and listening to Classical music. Of course it's not the only kind of music I listen to or play. I played jazz for 5 years, too. And I have my non-Classical music passions too (Radiohead, Tool, RHCP, Eminem, and select rock-a-billy to name a few).
Why am I detailing the music I grew up with and the music I listen to and love? It's because in September, 2008, CBC Radio 2 took an ax to their Classical music programming, reducing it from twelve hours to a mere five! The new programming would consist of world music, jazz, and "adult" (ya, adult contemporary - like those sections they have in HMV with Enya, Luther Vandross, and Barbara Streisand).
Anyway, even though I love Classical music, I do enjoy hearing about new artists so I thought that maybe the new Radio Two would still be a great station to listen to. WRONG!
For starters, the DJs are incredibly annoying. I mean, I can hardly stand the sound of Julie Nasrellah's voice (sorry Julie). She gets under my skin and I really can't listen to her for more than about two minutes (and don't even get me started on Katie Malloch *induce vomiting*). Of course Julie Nasrellah is trying to step into Jurgen Gothe's shoes, and they are big shoes to fill! Jurgen was definitely my favourite DJ - what a totally random and hilarious guy. And now he only gets one hour of programming, on Sunday afternoons. Tragic.
Next, the five hours of Classical music that Radio Two plays now are required to be "accessible", which means nothing contemporary, nothing too dissonant, nothing that pushes the boundaries. Thank you very much CBC. You wanted the new Radio Two to embrace today's current artists, and yet the only Classical music you seem to play is Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies.
Don't get me wrong - Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies rock my world...but there is a lot of amazing classical music out there, some of which is seldom played. So when a whole hour out of five is taken up by playing an entire Tchaikovksy symphony (when you could only have played one movement of said symphony and then filled up the rest of the hour with some Previn, Respighi, Bruckner, Ravel, Somers etc.) it can be frustrating. This is especially so when this "accessible" music that is played is stuff that is generally familiar to listeners - perhaps something many listeners own in their personal CD collection!
What about the new programming? From 3-6 every afternoon, listeners are treated (? hmm...maybe I should have used the word subjected) to a selection of music chosen by Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65). The music I most often hear during this time consists of folky singer-songwriters (that generally all sound the same), usually accompanied by a guitar and possibly a harmonica (music one might hear on the program The Signal hosted by Pat Carrabre). However, I rarely hear something I enjoy during those 3 hours. The rub really came when I tuned in one afternoon to hear Rich Terfry describing one "epic songwriter" whose music seemed to enrapture anyone who listens to it. Intrigued, I awaited the name of this musical genius. How incredibly disappointed...no, disgusted...I was when the artist proved to be Jack Johnson! Uhh...I'm sorry...does anyone notice that all of Jack Johnson's songs sound the same?! To quote Mugato "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!" It was at that moment that I truly hated the new Radio Two.
Perhaps I haven't given the new Radio Two a big enough chance. And perhaps I'm over-generalizing the musical content of some of the shows. Whatever the case, Radio Two has changed, and not for the better it seems (at least in my eyes...keep in mind this is merely an editorial). So I have to say (because I can) that it's so unfortunate that a station which was once my favourite driving music has become yet another station to flip through, hoping there will be something half-decent being played.
To begin I should state that I am a musician - primarily a Classical musician, raised through Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music and also through the Suzuki program (strings). So I love playing and listening to Classical music. Of course it's not the only kind of music I listen to or play. I played jazz for 5 years, too. And I have my non-Classical music passions too (Radiohead, Tool, RHCP, Eminem, and select rock-a-billy to name a few).
Why am I detailing the music I grew up with and the music I listen to and love? It's because in September, 2008, CBC Radio 2 took an ax to their Classical music programming, reducing it from twelve hours to a mere five! The new programming would consist of world music, jazz, and "adult" (ya, adult contemporary - like those sections they have in HMV with Enya, Luther Vandross, and Barbara Streisand).
Anyway, even though I love Classical music, I do enjoy hearing about new artists so I thought that maybe the new Radio Two would still be a great station to listen to. WRONG!
For starters, the DJs are incredibly annoying. I mean, I can hardly stand the sound of Julie Nasrellah's voice (sorry Julie). She gets under my skin and I really can't listen to her for more than about two minutes (and don't even get me started on Katie Malloch *induce vomiting*). Of course Julie Nasrellah is trying to step into Jurgen Gothe's shoes, and they are big shoes to fill! Jurgen was definitely my favourite DJ - what a totally random and hilarious guy. And now he only gets one hour of programming, on Sunday afternoons. Tragic.
Next, the five hours of Classical music that Radio Two plays now are required to be "accessible", which means nothing contemporary, nothing too dissonant, nothing that pushes the boundaries. Thank you very much CBC. You wanted the new Radio Two to embrace today's current artists, and yet the only Classical music you seem to play is Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies.
Don't get me wrong - Beethoven and Tchaikovksy symphonies rock my world...but there is a lot of amazing classical music out there, some of which is seldom played. So when a whole hour out of five is taken up by playing an entire Tchaikovksy symphony (when you could only have played one movement of said symphony and then filled up the rest of the hour with some Previn, Respighi, Bruckner, Ravel, Somers etc.) it can be frustrating. This is especially so when this "accessible" music that is played is stuff that is generally familiar to listeners - perhaps something many listeners own in their personal CD collection!
What about the new programming? From 3-6 every afternoon, listeners are treated (? hmm...maybe I should have used the word subjected) to a selection of music chosen by Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65). The music I most often hear during this time consists of folky singer-songwriters (that generally all sound the same), usually accompanied by a guitar and possibly a harmonica (music one might hear on the program The Signal hosted by Pat Carrabre). However, I rarely hear something I enjoy during those 3 hours. The rub really came when I tuned in one afternoon to hear Rich Terfry describing one "epic songwriter" whose music seemed to enrapture anyone who listens to it. Intrigued, I awaited the name of this musical genius. How incredibly disappointed...no, disgusted...I was when the artist proved to be Jack Johnson! Uhh...I'm sorry...does anyone notice that all of Jack Johnson's songs sound the same?! To quote Mugato "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!" It was at that moment that I truly hated the new Radio Two.
Perhaps I haven't given the new Radio Two a big enough chance. And perhaps I'm over-generalizing the musical content of some of the shows. Whatever the case, Radio Two has changed, and not for the better it seems (at least in my eyes...keep in mind this is merely an editorial). So I have to say (because I can) that it's so unfortunate that a station which was once my favourite driving music has become yet another station to flip through, hoping there will be something half-decent being played.
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