Program Guide
The Bluegrass Show
Music of India
The Italian Program
L'Emission Francophone
Sport & Society
Drive Time Jazz
Notes from the Music Director
Jazz From National Public Radio
Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center
Wynton Marsalis: Making the Music
SPORT AND SOCIETY ON WUCF-FM 89.9
Hosted by Dr Richard Crepeau
(Fridays at 5:55 & 7:55 pm)
Over the past four years I have written and delivered 200 commentaries for
WUCF-FM (89.9) on "Sport & Society." These have dealt with a wide variety of
topics, from dogsled racing to golf. I have commented on personalities,
controversies, great and minor achievements, the ridiculous and the sublime.
From the Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom to the beauty and grace of Oksana Baiul.
From the Magic to the Bucs. I have reviewed books and movies, television
documentaries, and sports journalism.
In the beginning I worried that I might run out of topics, but only once
did I find myself scrambling. Quite the opposite has been a problem. Topics
slip into the mist before I get a chance to put them under the microscope.
Sportsworld offers an endless cornucopia of subject matter.
What I hope I have done over the past four years, and will continue to do,
is offer some insight and perspective on sport and its relationship to society
which might not occur to the casual observer. Some have been done with humor,
some with admiration for human achievement, and some with irritation over
human folly. I hope that occasionally these radio essays provoke a thought or
the interest of listeners.
Our WUCF-FM SPORT AND SOCIETY
Archive is located here!
THE BLUEGRASS SHOW ON WUCF-FM 89.9
Hosted by Dr. David Dees
(Sundays 3:00 - 6:00 pm)
Bluegrass is an acoustic music, performed principally on the mandolin,
banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bass fiddle. Lyrics draw upon folk ballad styles
and emphisize traditional themes of family and home. As a musical genre,
bluegrass arose in the middle of the 20th century from the fusion of British and
African-American folk music traditions in the Southeastern United States.
The name is taken from the musical group, the Blue Grass Boys, formed by
Kentuckian Bill Monroe in 1939. Blending the Scots-Irish jigs and the reels
of string bands with the syncopation and extemporaneous improvisation of jazz
and the expressiveness of the blues, Monroe created a musical style which
stressed instrumental virtuosity, distinctive high-pitched vocals, and
accelerated tempos. Almost obscured by the rise of "rock and roll" and
"the Nashville sound" in the 1950's, bluegrass was "discovered" by a new
audience during the urban folk music revival of the late 1950's.
Bluegrass made the transition from a regional to a national or even
international music in the late 1960's. Up to this time, it had generally
been located in the Southeastern united States, particularly in Appalachia,
a continuing repository of Scots-Irish traditions. Much of the impetus for this
transformation occured on college campuses, as a part of the broader rejection
of commercial "pop" music which followed through the social transformations of
the late 1960's. This period saw the emergence of the bluegrass festival,
usually a weekend camping event held in a rural area with bluegrass bands
performing on stage and extensive informal jam sessions scattered throughout
the campground. From the first festival (held on Labor Day weekend) in 1965,
the number of major festivals held annually in the U.S. noe exceeds 600. In
addition there are annual festivals in Australia, the former Czechoslovakia,
Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Japan, Canada, England, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland,
and other nations.
Several writers had suggested contemporary bluegrass offers re-caption of
an idealized bucolic past, perhaps an antidote for the rushed, impersonal pace
of modern urban existance. In the 1990, U.S. Census data indicated that
bluegrass now ranks 9th among musical preferences (listed by 30% of the
respondents), following jazz (33%) and classical music (34%).
Take a Look at David Dees Homepage
MUSIC OF INDIA ON WUCF-FM 89.9
Hosted by Dr. Naval K. Modani & Aslam Khan
(Sundays 1:00 - 3:00 pm)
The musiac of India and its namesake Music of India program on
WUCF cannot be confined into one specific type or style of music. Rather,
it represents a world of its own -- the rich and diverse cultural heritage of
India. Music played on the Music of India program, like life itself, offers
a rich and lustrous hue of moods from soothing vocal and instrumental classical
music and heart-rending folk songs to reflective and romantic ghazals
to melodious geets to sizzling qwallis to funny songs and songs
with a tinge of sorrow.
The program airs every Sunday for two hours starting at 1:00 pm. The initial
half hour is devoted to classical music followed by listener requests and
popular music based on a given theme. Most of the popular songs in India are
from movies as most of the movies are musicals. Over the years, many of the
screen stories for which they are sung may have passed into oblivion but the
songs remain perennially popular. The secret of their eternal appeal is the
uncanny fusion of the lyrics and music, of melody and rhythm, and of sound and
sence. Modern Indian music utilizes a range of indigenous Indian musical
instruments along with several Western instruments for orchestration. Many
movie songs are based on classical ragas.
The primary objective of the program is to present the dazzling array and
versatility of indian music to the listeners. This program has aired an WUCF
for about ten years and is a volunteer effort of students and faculty from India.
By offering a subtle blend of classical and popular music, of old and newer
music, the program has developed a loyal following among UCF students, faculty,
and others in the metropolitan area. It is a rare Sunday without several
phonecalls of inquiry, compliments, and sometimes constructive criticism.
Some of the listeners enjoy the variety of music, for others it also brings
back many fond memories.
Drive Time Jazz on WUCF-FM 89.9
With Wayne Parkins
(Weekdays @ 7:00 am)
Monday thru Friday Mornings you can join me, Wayne Parkins, for
Drive Time Jazz. Beginning weekdays at 7:00 A.M., I'll play the best in
great straight-ahead jazz to get you out of bed, through breakfast, and
off to the office (or wherever else you may spend your mornings!). The
first hour is a little slower paced with lots of trio jazz and relaxing
vocals. Hour two, I like to pick it up a little and wake you up with a
smorgasboard of tasty sounds.
Many of you have enjoyed the first 15-20 minutes of hour 1 as I have
gone through a lot of the John Coltrane catalog. I began by playing the
entire Atlantic Records reissue put together by Rhino Records. I
accomplished this 2 songs at a time. We also ran through his Prestige
recordings with Red Garland, Miles, and enjoyed some of his more recent
Impulse! reissues as well. The new year will bring a new theme. Tune in
beginning Monday morning January 1, as I begin the program with some
music of note.
I look forward to hearing from all listeners and welcome phone calls
during "morning drive" at 823-3689 (request line). All other times
through our main number, 823-0899. You can e-mail me at
MParkins@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
L'EMISSION FRANCOPHONE ON WUCF-FM 89.9
With Dr. Heinrich Barsch
(Tuesdays 1:00 - 1:30 pm)
Conducted by Dr. Karl Heinrich Barsch, L'Emission Francophone ("The French
Program") has been a regular weekly program on WUCF since 1989. Established
with the help of a grant from the Government of Quebec and supported by the
Florida-Canada Institute, and the Department of Foriegn Languages, L'Emission
Francophone addresses the Francophone community, students of the French at all
levels and the general public.
L'Emission Francophone is conducted bilingually and it introduces the
audience to the world of the French chanson. The songs are grouped
thematically. Before a song is played, its text is breiflt explained in
English, and the refrain and some key passages are read in English and French
so that all listeners and students may follow it. At times French majors,
teachers and members of the Francophone community are invited to the studio as
guest commentators.
THE ITALIAN PROGRAM ON WUCF-FM 89.9
Hosted by Dr. Anthony Cervone
(Wednesdays 1:00 - 1:30 pm)
For approximately three years, the department of Foreign Languages has been
sponcoring the Italian Program which is aired Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. The
program is conducted bilingually and offers a selection of famous Italian
tenors. Depending on a particular anniversary, programs of a historical nature
are often aired. the Itailian Program is broadcast live and is conducted by
Dr. Anthony Cervone.
The Italian Program is of vital importance to the students of Italian
descent at UCF as well as to the 40,000 member Italian community of Central
Florida. In addition, it serves as the main vehicle of information of the UCF
Summer Study Abroad Program in Urbino, Italy. The Italian Program maintains
close links with the Italian Cultural Society of Central Florida, a society
which raises funds for scholarship awards to UCF students enrolled in Italian
language studies.
Dr. Jose Fernandez, Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages has
stated "The Italian Program and L'Emission Francophone" are programs of
inestimable value for our students, members of Central Florida and those
interested in expanding their cultural horizons.
Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center
Jazz from National Public Radio
Distinguished jazz pianist and educator Dr. Billy Taylor returns to National
Public Radio and the WUCF airways on Tuesday at 2:00 P.M., beginning October
10th. His engaging new weekly series features a different jazz luminary in
concert and conversation with Dr Taylor and his trio before a live audience at
the Kennedy Center. What results is a stimulating hour of music, stories,
humor, and insights into what makes jazz jazz. With an approach that is
"listener-friendly," the theatre audience also gets into the act with questions
for the musicians. The responses are always sponstaneous, often leading to
musical demonstrations and the show's finest moments. Join 89.9 FM for 26 weeks
of Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center - Tuesdays from 2:00 - 3:00 P.M.,
starting on October 10th.
Wynton Marsalis: Making the Music
Jazz from National Public Radio
A 26-week "swing through jazz" kicks off on October 9th when we begin
airing the National Public Radio series: Wynton Marsalis, Making the Music.
Trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis hosts the show and captures listeners
with an array of topics designed to get to the essentials of jazz in a vibrant
and entertaining way: from "Inside the Blues" to "Who was Monk?"; from
"Jazz and the American Popular Song" to "Duke Ellington's Halem Suite."
As Wynton Marsalis says:
"My fondest desire for Making the Music is that it will remove those
roadblocks, and clear the way for your listeners to shake hands with jazz,
get to know it better, and hear it with fresh, open ears. And I guarantee you,
it will change the way you hear America."
Tune in for a look at America's "classical music"
- Mondays from 10:00 - 11:00 p.m., beginning October 9th.
Notes from our Music Director
WUCF-FM is proud to be the leader in Jazz programming in the Central Florida
area, and is rapidly becoming one of the most influential Jazz stations in the
southeast. In just two short years WUCF-FM has gone from a part-time, marginal
jazz station, to a predominantly jazz intensive programming entity.
Several factors have contributed to this change, most notably our signal
increase from 8,000 to 40,000 watts. Becoming a member of the National Public
Radio (NPR) gave us the opportunity to broadcast high quality programs such as
Jazz from Lincoln Center with Ed Bradley, Piano Jazz with Marian
McPartland, and Jazzset with Branford Marsalis.
The biggest and most impacting change here at WUCF has been the addition of
our morning jazz programs. Drivetime Jazz began airing from
7:00 - 9:00 A.M. in April and the response was so overwhelming that in May we
decided to broadcast jazz until noon and WUCF in the morning was born.
Never in our wildest dreams did we anticipate the positive response to this
programming change in such a short amount of time. Almost immediately the
phones began ringing, letters came pouring in, and our fax machine began working
overtime to accommodate the messages of congratulationsand thanks for the changes.
All of these changes have brought national recognition from the radio
industry as WUCF has become one of the most influential jazz stations in the
country. New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Atlanta are the
only major market stations in the country programming jazz exclusively and our
increased jazz hours are moving us into an elite group of radio stations.
WUCF is extremely proud of our programming changes and invites you to tune
in and share in the wealth of great music each and every day!
-Wayne Parkins
