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The dumbing down of the U.S. continues...

104.60.189.213
Posted on July 14, 2016 at 16:21:16
jimbill
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 Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., no longer has a FM classical music station!

It has been replaced, I believe, by a Christian hip hop channel.

They are currently running a constant message stating that you can find them on HD2. What happens to the people who don't have the money, the knowledge, or the internet?

 

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streaming..., posted on July 14, 2016 at 16:34:30
mbnx01
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 Not a healthy thing for the music business. IMHO, anyway.






'A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on'. -Mark Twain

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 15, 2016 at 08:29:12
Palustris
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 Cape Cod has a population of about 215k people. We have a symphony orchestra, at least two chamber music festivals, and a good classical music station. Our population is 27% over 65 so that may have some bearing on the reason. Most of us in the over 65 demographic had alternative radio during our formative years, at least in the northeast, as well as the typical pop stations. Boston has a whole range of alternative stations, a result of all the college radio and we have two excellent NPR stations one of which, WGBH, featured classical music all day and jazz in the evening for many decades. I agree that it is a demographic phenomenon: the more educated have much broader musical tastes and are less likely to listen to whatever the music industry feeds them.

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 15, 2016 at 08:52:31
rbolaw
 It also helps to be where the well-educated elite have their summer and weekend homes, if not year-round homes. That tends to attract artists, musicians, theater groups, etc.
Tragically, "well-educated" is fast becoming an attribute only of the elite, at least in the US.

 

'Tragically, "well-educated" is fast becoming an attribute only of the elite', posted on July 15, 2016 at 11:38:54
Chris from Lafayette
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 Alas - truer words have never been posted, especially now that many college programs are nothing more than trade schools for corporations!

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 15, 2016 at 13:19:48
semuta
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 Is it the Christian half or the rap half you have a problem with? As for education and "dumbing" down of U.S., we are not helped when our "educated" President has a revolving door of rap artists with criminal rap sheets and vile song lyrics visiting the WH. Perhaps a return of classical music in the WH would help, but then that might not fit the narrative.

 

Which brings to mind ..., posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:30:31
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
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 I thought when the Obama came into office that we would see the best and brightest of Black America invited to the White House.

Instead, as you say, the basest of Black culture has been put on display as if they needed any more notoriety.

Not being a socialist I knew I was not going to agree with him on policy but I did think it was going to be great for the country to be exposed to great Black American culture. (yes, I am a White American and not a British Isles-American). He really could have made this an important part of his presidency and it would have been enlightening to many in this country.

An opportunity wasted on many levels. But I am no longer surprised ...

 

Can education only come from institutions?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:34:05
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
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 Do lawyers come out of school knowing how to practice? NO!

Education is something that is supposed to be part of a life long process.

My experience has been all too often that too many turn their brains off once they get their piece of paper. So they would be classified "educated" by you? Not by me? I need more proof. Like saying something that makes me think.

 

Yes it's Obama's fault, posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:41:25
Analog Scott
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 He is destroying classical music one radio station at a time. He will be the end of classical music as a whole for sure. So try to enjoy all the classical music you can before he takes it all away from us by December.

 

Had to go political?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 16:22:52
jimbill
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 I don't care for hip hop or Christian music in general. Houston has plenty of stations offering both already. But neither, IMO, should be represented at the cost of classical music.

As far as your blasting of the President, maybe you should check your facts before passing judgement. He and the First Lady have hosted a wide range of music and musicians. I couldn't find a link to something along the same lines for the prior President.

 

RE: Can education only come from institutions?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 16:28:44
genungo
 It's pretty obvious that some attend college in order to increase social status and/or score bigger salaries later on. So, it can be difficult to define words such as *smart* or *educated* but I suspect that those words do NOT allude to "the filling of a bucket".

On the other hand, some of these *smart people* would seriously burn their fingers during the "lighting of a fire". So maybe it's just as well.

 

Talk about who is dumbing down of the U.S. ...., posted on July 15, 2016 at 17:17:21
Amphissa
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 You mean criminal rappers like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Stevie Wonder, John Mellencamp, Natalie Cole, Joan Baez, Burt Bacharach, Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, BB King, Smokey Robinson, Diana Krall, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Alison Kraus, , Blind Boys of Akabama ...

And classical artists like Sharon Isbin, Alicia Weilerstein, and Joshua Bell?

It is people like you, who gobble up the vile excremental spew without doing any fact checking, who are dumbing down America.

Geez!


"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)

 

In my post, there was an assumed understanding of what education entails, posted on July 15, 2016 at 17:52:54
Chris from Lafayette
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 It's not just training on how to be a lawyer, although of course there's education involved in the legal profession too. No, I meant a liberal (yes, liberal, with a small "l") education, and I'll go right to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (found right on Wikipedia no less!) for a definition: "Ideally, a liberal education produces persons who are open-minded and free from provincialism, dogma, preconception, and ideology; conscious of their opinions and judgments; reflective of their actions; and aware of their place in the social and natural worlds." Because of their broad exposure to the world of ideas, liberally educated people are skeptical of their own traditions; they are trained to think for themselves rather than conform to higher authorities. Liberal education emphasizes the development of intellectual abilities as opposed to the acquisition of skills (professional or otherwise).

I agree with you that education "is something that is supposed to be part of a life long process" and that some people do leave college without further interest in honing and developing whatever educational concepts they were exposed to.

I am very proud that one of my kids majored in philosophy - I believe that this major has laid a great foundation for his work in overseeing the legal and compliance areas of the financial services industry, even though he decided not to go to law school - and, believe me, financial services is an industry that needs oversight and compliance! ;-)

 

If any part of this thread gets "pruned" because it's too political. . . , posted on July 15, 2016 at 18:02:15
Chris from Lafayette
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 . . . I'm saying right now that I don't plan to prune it myself - I'm innocent! ;-)

Although. . . we could profitably tone down the rhetoric a bit, as colorful and entertaining as it might be! ;-)

 

What??? You commie pinko!, posted on July 15, 2016 at 18:24:28
rbolaw
 You remind me of that clueless loser who had a perfectly good family business but neglected it for a career in politics!! And when he finished with that, he spent his time, energy and most of his remaining money to build a college!! And he wasted time as a classical music violinist!! And he donated his library to the government!! (As if a government needs books. What an idiot.)
And even though he owned a copy of the Qur'an and didn't like a lot of what he read in it, and claimed to be a Christian, he thought Muslims should be able to have full citizenship rights and observe their religion!!
Good thing we don't have losers like that in America today.

 

RE: Talk about who is dumbing down of the U.S. ...., posted on July 15, 2016 at 18:50:07
semuta
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 Here is one example, with many others available if you so choose to examine this further.

 

RE: "Ideally, ...", posted on July 15, 2016 at 18:56:43
genungo
 Whew! It's a good thing that they prefaced their definition of "liberalism" with an adverb like "ideally"...

Have you EVER met a person who does all of those things in an integrated fashion?

 

RE: Yes it's Obama's fault, posted on July 15, 2016 at 21:54:14
classfolkphile
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 LOL!

 

Sigh, posted on July 15, 2016 at 22:30:09
jdaniel@jps.net
 Dude, where do you get your news?

 

Good Lord do you people have research skills? , posted on July 15, 2016 at 22:33:35
jdaniel@jps.net
 Any? At all?

 

I guess it's an aspiration, and, as rickmcinnis implied, a continuing quest! [nt] ;-) , posted on July 15, 2016 at 23:40:58
Chris from Lafayette
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It's Just Part of a Bigger Picture......., posted on July 15, 2016 at 23:44:42
Todd Krieger
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 The entire media pop-culture has engulfed American society like a stage 4 cancer.....

For a lot of people, the only music they know is hip-hop. And those who control the media want it this way..... A dumbed-down populace is a controllable one.

It started in the late 1960s. We once had the NY Philharmonic and Miles Davis on network television. Then, some time in the late 1960s, such programming went "poof"..... (This wasn't gradual, it was sudden.) And it has been a death spiral ever since.

 

I admit, I'm stumped, posted on July 15, 2016 at 23:48:02
Chris from Lafayette
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 I was all set to guess Louis Farrakhan (I hear he plays a mean Mendelssohn E-minor Violin Concerto!), but he doesn't fulfill all the criteria that you list (at least not that I know of!), and besides, I guess he's now into scientology!

 

RE: Talk about who is dumbing down of the U.S. ...., posted on July 15, 2016 at 23:54:00
Todd Krieger
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 "You mean criminal rappers like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Stevie Wonder, John Mellencamp, Natalie Cole, Joan Baez, Burt Bacharach, Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, BB King, Smokey Robinson, Diana Krall, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Alison Kraus, , Blind Boys of Akabama ... "

These artists are "rappers"? .... .....

 

The Daily Mail? The Daily Mail?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 23:59:14
Chris from Lafayette
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 Surely you jest!

 

Exactly ... and criminals [nt], posted on July 16, 2016 at 01:31:10
Amphissa
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 .

"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)

 

I like the younger generation..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 05:54:36
andy evans
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 I'm in Europe, but I like what I see of the 20-30 year olds. I work in a rock music academy and see a lot of them.

Frankly I don't give a damn about their musical tastes, but I find them knowledgeable, ethical, very savvy of technology and healthier than previous generations - going to the gym is very common and I see less drinking and drugs than I saw in the 60s and 70s. Todays rock musicians also do a lot of songwriting and production. Creative stuff - not just playing from scores.

It was the young who voted to keep the UK in the European Union in the Brexit vote. I'm not worried about the young of today. I worry more about the world they've inherited.

 

RE: I admit, I'm stumped, posted on July 16, 2016 at 06:19:18
rbolaw
 Thomas Jefferson. A real radical.

 

And your point is?, posted on July 16, 2016 at 07:18:59
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
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 Looked it over and I am baffled by what it is you are trying to say I missed?

Justin Timberlake, Cyndi Lauper, and on and on.

I can only assume you have no idea what I am saying.

 

Seriously? A fabric is made of many threads, right?, posted on July 16, 2016 at 07:25:39
jdaniel@jps.net



Can't just choose the ones that fit your narrative.

 

Or maybe..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 07:26:39
genungo
 ... very few of us want it.

 

I know someone who controls media, posted on July 16, 2016 at 08:41:37
jdaniel@jps.net
 The free market speaks and the free market says hip hop, (or whatever the majority of the local listeners want.

If revenues are flat, or if they fall, the program directors are gone.

Even within the classical music industry there's "dumbing down." Back in the brick and mortar era I managed a small classical music room in a college town. I ordered a lot of "obscure" stuff: VW 9th symphony, Respighi's "other" works, if you get my drift; manager tossed my list and replaced it with Beethoven's 5 and Orff's Carmina Burana* on Naxos no less. It's what sells," he said.

*immoral stuff!

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 09:04:04
Mike K
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 If I own a radio station and can make more money playing classical
music than I can playing "christian hop hop" (whatever that might
be), I will play classical music. It's pretty simple. The market
for classical music in Houston is apparently not that big, or there's
mo one with deep pockets willing to finance the deficit of a
classical station.

There are plenty of internet resources for classical, and there's always
Sirius XM. Many cable companies provide music channels with their basic
package, which usually includes a classical channel.


There is a LOT of good to great music out there that is just not in the mainstream. You can fine it if you look. Youtube is your friend in this regard.


Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

RE: The Daily Mail? The Daily Mail?, posted on July 16, 2016 at 10:56:10
semuta
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 Yeah the whole story was made up, right?

 

Aren't you glad you started this thread? ;-), posted on July 16, 2016 at 11:13:51
rbolaw
 It's always sad to see people who are not only ignorant, but proud of it. But even worse is the rejection of Beethoven's and Schiller's principle that "all men are brothers". Now that Beethoven's message can no longer be heard on the Houston airwaves, will the Christian hip hop station continue broadcasting the same message? And if not, just how "Christian" is it?

 

If you read my link, you'll see that they've been known to make things up [nt], posted on July 16, 2016 at 11:29:35
Chris from Lafayette
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You just want to puncture my faith in the human race! [nt] ;-), posted on July 16, 2016 at 11:31:27
Chris from Lafayette
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Your faith in humanity seems pretty puncture-resistant..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 12:00:58
genungo
 .., so I'm sure that you will get over it. We all lose a little gas now and then.

 

The cosmic irony is that Classical aficionados own the Bach Masses, Passions; Handel's Oratorios, Mozart's, , posted on July 16, 2016 at 17:01:47
jdaniel@jps.net
 Faure's and Durufle's Requiems. Obviously I could go on.

It seems a bit defensive to ask if the appreciation of Biblical texts and stories--set to music by whomever-- is somehow regressive.

Whether the composer is up to the task....

 

Indeed, but it's been going on for a long time ... and ..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 17:45:06
Amphissa
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 I lived in Houston for some years. Houston has an excellent symphony orchestra that has been led, over the years, by some outstanding (and famous) conductors. The Houston ballet is one of the best in the country.

However, the well-to-do, educated and/or culturally knowledgeable who enjoy and support the classical arts DO NOT LISTEN TO RADIO! They don't watch a lot of arts-related TV either, which explains why Bravo abandoned the classical arts, A&E abandoned the classical arts, PBS has reduced its classical arts programming to rare events, and most NPR affiliates have only a few hours of classical programming per week.

There's a gazillion channels on TV and not one of them is focused on the classical arts. (Well, not in the U.S., anyway. Europe has a number of TV and satellite and broadcast channels devoted to classical arts.)

As for Sirius, last time I checked, it had two classical channels, both of which pretty much suck. The music channels that come with cable subscriptions have two channels that play classical, and they suck too.

Country, Christian, hip hop and pop have pretty much taken over -- with some markets including a classic rock channel. All with screaming commercials and smarmy jocks. And then, of course, there's the proliferation of talk shows. Lets not go there.

It's been a very long time since classical arts had a prominent place on the airwaves in the U.S. -- radio or television.

So, yes, I agree with you. When the 4th largest city in the U.S. has no classical station, it is one more bit of evidence of the dumbing down of our country.


"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)

 

Kind of like Brian Williams of NBC... :) nt, posted on July 16, 2016 at 19:07:25
srl1
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 nt

 

Fair and...., posted on July 16, 2016 at 19:17:31
jdaniel@jps.net
 Balanced? Isn't that how it goes?

When the rapper Common was invited to the Obama White House, conservatives took umbrage because the singer's music has featured lyrics about violence and an anti-police attitude. What the same commentators and pundits seemed to forget was when Eazy-E, the late, controversial rapper from the gangster rap group NWA, was invited to a Republican White House luncheon during the administration of George H.W. Bush. Eazy-E, real name Eric Wright, wrote songs about killing cops in graphic detail as well as raping women, committing robbery and other crimes. But that didn't stop then Republican Senate leader Bob Dole from inviting the rapper to an exclusive luncheon with the president and the Senate's inner circle on March 18, 1991 after the recording artist made a contribution to the Republican Party at the urging of Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas).

 

Yes indeed! - I can't believe he's back in the fold!, posted on July 16, 2016 at 19:50:12
Chris from Lafayette
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 His multiple appearances on The Daily Show during the Jon Stewart era showed he had a quick wit and could be an entertaining guest. But when you purposely report exaggerations and falsehoods (self-aggrandizing ones at that!) as Williams did, that should be pretty much the end of your career IMHO, because you no longer have any credibility any more - and what good is your reporting without credibility? It seems as if those with connections, money and power close ranks and protect their own (like Williams) when push comes to shove.

 

RE: Indeed, but it's been going on for a long time ... and ..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 20:01:26
Mike K
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 I used to live in Denver and it had a great classical fm station. and
it was pretty profitable. But the temptation to sell became too great when the money on offer became too great. Nothing new here. The
audience for some version or rock/country/rap is just too big.

Sirius is down to one classical channel. I don't know if it sucks or
not, as I'm not a discerning listener of classical musical. I am a
discerning listener of jazz and their jazz channel is pretty good. Their
classic country and bluegrass channels are also pretty good. But they
don't have to be good, just popular. Nobody makes money catering to the
musical snobs of any genre. And money makes the world go round.

So, get yourself a programmable cd player and have at it. Seems like
your only choice. Unfortunately.

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 16, 2016 at 20:01:30
risabet
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 Courtesy of Faux (FOX) News!
Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.

Adam Smith

 

You named many of my favorite works . . . , posted on July 16, 2016 at 20:03:00
risabet
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 and I'm an atheist:)


Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.

Adam Smith

 

RE: You named many of my favorite works . . . , posted on July 16, 2016 at 20:17:58
jdaniel@jps.net
 Same here, that's why it's such a bummer when people get so defensive.

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 17, 2016 at 08:54:35
vahe
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 What is so sad is that at one time Houston had two classical radio stations, one belonged to Rice University with a very prominent Shepherd Music School and the other owned by University of Houston with their own Moores Music School.

I can understand the reasoning for selling these stations if they were privately owned, but for a University with prominent music schools? Oh well this is America!!!!!!!

Vahe

 

What do I care?, posted on July 17, 2016 at 09:26:37
Ivan303
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 I don't understand Latin so it hardly matters if it's religious or not.

Heck, even the Handel stuff that's in English is hard enough to understand so that it doesn't matter what they are singing.


They guys writing this stuff were just working in whatever market that would pay the bills anyway.

"I got some great tunes here, you got some text you want plugged in?"





First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

Exactly!, posted on July 17, 2016 at 10:12:37
jimbill
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 University of Houston has plenty of money for new football and basketball stadiums but not enough to maintain a decades old classical radio station. Much of the money for running it was from their pledge drives which always seemed to go well.

 

"And those who control the media want it that way ....", posted on July 17, 2016 at 16:06:07
rbolaw
 There you go again, Todd, with your grassy knoll theories. The trouble is, there is no evidence to support them. ;-)

 

Um, no., posted on July 18, 2016 at 05:50:16
rbolaw
 Great artists are almost never about the money. Why do you think that Mozart was broke? And notice that even the greatest composers, once they start focusing on making money, don't write much more great music.
See, e.g., Rachmaninoff, who was born rich, lost it all in the revolution, and then for the sake of his family built another fortune through a heavy performing schedule and careful investing. Most of his music comes from his earlier years.
The words/lyrics matter.

 

RE: "And those who control the media want it that way ....", posted on July 18, 2016 at 07:59:23
Todd Krieger
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 The evidence is this hasn't taken place in Japan.....

It's almost a time warp..... Japan's media has not driven its culture into the ground..... The country has the best orchestras in the world now (like American orchestras in the 1950s and 1960), and an audience that is of all ages, not just the elderly.

Heck, there may be even more evidence in Mexico.... (Try to find an American example in what's in the link. Again, look at the audience.) We don't have our youth being exposed to unadulterated music anymore..... And I think it's downright heartbreaking.

 

RE: I know someone who controls media, posted on July 18, 2016 at 08:10:20
Todd Krieger
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 "The free market speaks and the free market says hip hop, (or whatever the majority of the local listeners want."

It's the "pop culture" on this one..... Shaped by the mainstream media..... Hip hop is purely a "peer pressure" driven genre..... We don't have music for the sake of music anymore.

 

So..... What's Your Point?, posted on July 18, 2016 at 08:12:33
Todd Krieger
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 I'm getting the impression that you're trolling..........

 

"The words/lyrics matter" - sure, for some composers - for others, not so much, posted on July 18, 2016 at 11:26:35
Chris from Lafayette
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 You mention Mozart, and I seem to recall reading that in one of his early (Salzburg) masses, he saved himself some effort by setting the Gloria and the Credo to be sung to the same music simultaneously - perhaps at Archbishop Colloredo's request (who didn't have the time for, or the interest in, elaborate musical settings). ;-)

Also, I'm not so sure that there's any sort of correlation between a composer's financial well being (or their focus on making money) and the quality of their work. Wagner got a little short of cash? Time to write a new opera - so he composed "Parsifal", considered by many (myself included) to be his masterpiece.

As for Rachmaninoff - that is indeed a tragic case that the financial necessity for his performance career took so much time away from his composing in his later years. But certainly, there were some truly great works that emerged from those later years, such as the Paganini Rhapsody and the Symphonic Dances.

 

Lyrics and words mattered enormously to Mozart, posted on July 18, 2016 at 15:27:59
rbolaw
 certainly for his supremely clever and witty, and often surprisingly profound, operas. He couldn't just choose his own arbitrary lyrics for the Roman Catholic Mass, could he? The greatest operas are great drama, not just great music, including Wagner's, and for me the greatest 19th century opera of all, Carmen, is also a great drama.
More to the point, composing music has seldom been a high-paying job in our culture. If there is any real money to be made in the music biz, it's usually in the performing. There have been exceptions -- Rossini scored big with William Tell, and happily took early retirement.
That doesn't mean famous composers didn't (often very badly) need the money they were paid for writing their most famous works.

 

Yup - sometimes they did [nt] ;-), posted on July 18, 2016 at 18:44:33
Chris from Lafayette
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To a large extent, yes., posted on July 19, 2016 at 14:18:26
rbolaw
 That's why, after his political career ended, Thomas Jefferson devoted his time, energy, and what money he had left to founding the University of Virginia. As for the relative importance that he attached to that in the context of his career as a whole, it is interesting to read the explicit instructions he left on the inscription that should be on his grave stone:

...on the faces of the Obelisk the following inscription, & not a word more:
Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 19, 2016 at 14:37:37
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 For the last 8 years, we must place all blame on Obama. He has singled-handedly destroyed much of American culture and status!

 

KDFC San Francisco - San Jose, posted on July 19, 2016 at 14:42:09
jedrider
Audiophile

Posts: 15168
Location: No. California
Joined: December 26, 2003
 KDFC was a bit moribund for a while, but after the TV digital transition, it seems that antennas and channels were shuffled a bit, and now they are listener sponsored and have multiple frequencies to insure good coverage. I presume there were many donations for them to do this. Oil industry must be in the doldrums there in Houston.

I almost sold off my nice tuner and had really stopped listening for years. Now, I check in regularly to see what programming they have. Their Sacred Concert shows on Sunday mornings are my favorite. Our public Jazz station also does well (when they get their equalization right) and the best part is having access to their playlist.

A major city is not a major city without a classical and a jazz station. Folk music is also alright by me ;-)

 

RE: "Obama... single-handedly destroyed much of American culture and status", posted on July 19, 2016 at 15:41:14
genungo
 Do you really think so? How lucky we are that he did not use both hands.

 

RE: KDFC San Francisco - San Jose, posted on July 19, 2016 at 15:57:02
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26483
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 Lots of folks I know have had their local pride hurt because KDFC only survived because of the good graces of USC - that would be the University of Southern California (in LOS ANGELES)! KDFC is now part of the KUSC "family", and even some of the local Bay Area station call letters associated with KDFC reflect that (e.g., KXSC or some other kind of K*SC formulation). As one woman said to me: "I HATE it that KDFC is owned by USC - Stanford should have stepped up to the plate and taken over! It's just so embarrassing!" ;-)

As for me, since I'm on the other side of the Oakland-Berkeley hills, I STILL don't get the KDFC signal from ANY of their transmitters/frequencies. I actually get KXPR in Sacramento better. No big deal though - I only care when I'm in the car. On either of my indoor home systems, I just listen via the internet when I'm in the mood to hear something on the "radio" (including KDFC!).

 

RE: "Obama... single-handedly destroyed much of American culture and status", posted on July 20, 2016 at 08:35:35
fstein
Audiophile

Posts: 2996
Location: fstein
Joined: May 18, 2006
 just think, you can hate Hillary for the next 8 years

 

RE: KDFC San Francisco - San Jose, posted on July 20, 2016 at 09:20:28
oldmkvi
Audiophile

Posts: 10583
Joined: April 12, 2002
 I was in Mendocino for a week, music programming there on the radio is FAR superior to anything we het here in the Bay Area, just with local DJs.

Check out WCLV FM on the Internet, I listen to it a lot, almost never KDFC, which continues
to have safe and lame programming for the most part,
tho it does carry Local Orch Broadcasts.

WCLV carries the Cleve Orch.

The Jitterbug/Dragonfly Combo makes the mp3 level Broadcasts sound good, and my HAP Z1 sound great on Internet Radio, esp with the "Precision" Upsampling selected, as opposed to "Normal".

I actually enjoy the Z1 more than the Mytek or Lampiztor Dacs, tho they are in different systems.

 

Linn has 3 Stations, all the highest bit rate available. nt, posted on July 20, 2016 at 09:26:52
oldmkvi
Audiophile

Posts: 10583
Joined: April 12, 2002
 /

 

RE: "Obama...", posted on July 20, 2016 at 09:52:58
genungo
 Actually, I don't hate Obama and I don't (and probably won't) hate Hillary in any special way. I hold no special hate for Trump, either. Instead, I hate the framework of politics. So in essence, I hate them all.

Every president or presidential nominee brings with them a set of tradeoffs and compromises. So I'm prepared to hate, no matter who gets inside.

It COULD be that *hate* is a sort of security blanket for me, I'll have to examine that possibility....

 

Western civilization has always been gasping its last gasp, yet youth orchestras today can play Rite of , posted on July 20, 2016 at 10:17:11
jdaniel@jps.net
 Spring while chatting on their iPhones.

Someone's doing something ... Rite.

 

You got that right., posted on July 20, 2016 at 15:23:37
rbolaw
 When my cellist nephew entered the NEC, he was assigned to the fourth of four orchestras, which among other things met one night each week to sight read (!) through pieces like the Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis, which according to my dismayed nephew they would do effortlessly and flawlessly.
My nephew wisely transferred out of there and has decided against a career as a cellist.

 

Thanks for the suggestions - I try to listen to a variety of stations, posted on July 20, 2016 at 16:30:47
Chris from Lafayette
Audiophile

Posts: 26483
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: February 17, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 6, 2012
 Lots of stuff from Europe too - Budapest's Radio Bartok is pretty good quality, and Czech Radio "D-dur" broadcasts in lossless compression. (I use VLC media player to listen to it.) I think Tony Lauck was the first one here to give everyone a heads up about the lossless Czech Radio internet broadcasts. The only problem is that they don't seem to broadcast live concerts. For live stuff, I check the "World Concert Hall" site (link below) pretty regularly. Sometimes the "music players" for the various stations require that you have Flash installed (I've booted Flash from my system), but others don't. Also, within iTunes, there's an extensive list of stations (in various music formats) available at various bit rates.

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 23, 2016 at 20:00:22
slovell1
Audiophile

Posts: 497
Location: Chesnee, South Carolina
Joined: October 11, 2008
 I disagree, I'd opine that Bush did that when he invaded the wrong two countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. One for each hand being that he was too stupid to decide which hand to use.

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 24, 2016 at 04:16:20
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Brother, you are wrong on many levels. Democraps are the dirt beneath my feet.

 

RE: Thanks for the suggestions - I try to listen to a variety of stations, posted on July 24, 2016 at 04:18:11
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Excellent points- Chris.

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on July 24, 2016 at 17:15:52
slovell1
Audiophile

Posts: 497
Location: Chesnee, South Carolina
Joined: October 11, 2008
 I'd rather have them than your Republicons who don't seem to know the truth when it's screaming in their face.

 

RE: Yes indeed! - I can't believe he's back in the fold!, posted on July 25, 2016 at 00:32:54
slovell1
Audiophile

Posts: 497
Location: Chesnee, South Carolina
Joined: October 11, 2008
 If the helicopter he was riding in had actually been hit by an RPG he most definitely would no longer be reporting from anywhere. The first time I heard him talk about it I knew he was full of it. Helicopters do not survive a hit from an RPG.

 

RE: You got that right., posted on July 25, 2016 at 01:13:40
MannyE
Audiophile

Posts: 2088
Location: Miami Beach
Joined: March 4, 2001
 I'm having a hard time deciding if you are disappointed by your nephew or think he made a wise choice in giving up the cello as a profession, and if you're upset about the process the NEC (New England Conservatory?) uses or think it's just an elite (in the positive sense) endeavor and he was wise in realizing it would be wasted time.

Is there something inherently archaic about sight reading?

I genuinely want to know. :)

 

RE: Yes it's Obama's fault, posted on August 7, 2016 at 05:41:52
Tweaker456
 Yeah, He is buying up all the rap and hip hop stations with fake govamint money so they can be Socialist stations. Or Communist stations? or Fascist stations? Or Kenyanist stations? My mama didn't raise no fool. T

 

RE: The dumbing down of the U.S. continues..., posted on August 10, 2016 at 16:29:00
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 It's a case of low brow culture eclipsing the high brow. It's been happening for years, appears to keep happening until there are no classical FM stations and most of our opera companies and symphony orchestras go broke.

Regulars to this site who love classical music know that most people can't identify even the old war horses of the classical canon. Sad but true. And no, I'n no elitist, just a guy moved by the likes of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Verdi, Mozart, et al.

 

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