Cool Tunes For a Hot Planet

 Episode 50 explores the mysteries of Geologic Time with geologist Marcia Bjornerud and composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh, offering musical and scientific perspectives on Earth's multi-billion-year history. We discuss Dr. Bjornerud's award-winning books, Ms. Nourbakhsh's compositions, and other pieces of music that spread over mind-boggling time spans, including "As Slow As Possible," John Cage's 639-year organ piece currently unfolding in Halberstadt, Germany.#geology #deeptime #timescale #rockshttps://humansandnature.org/marcia-bjornerud/https://niloufarnourbakhsh.com/https://www.mnphil.org/https://www.aslsp.org/https://www.arthurganson.com/https://longplayer.org/https://africanrockart.org/MUSIC & VIDEOMarcia Bjornerud& Niloufar NourbakhshInterviewAugust 21, 2026"Deep Time"Minnesota PhilharmonicOrchestra, Brian Dowdy - ConductorMay 16, 2026"How To Make A Palaeolithic Hand Axe" Flint Knapping with Phil HardingCourtesy Time TeamVietnamese đàn đáBinh Phuoc (Central Highlands)Courtesy YouTube user ykumichLithophone Grand Pressigny Ringot Played by Jean-Loup RingotLocal musicians playing rocks atBirnin Kudu, Jigawa State, NigeriaCourtesy The Trust For African Rock ArtYadgar - Voice and Qairaq (stones)An Anthology Of The World's Music: Afghanistan IIIAST-4007"White Helmets as White As Death"Niloufar Nourbakhsh - ComposerFlute: Eun Hae Grace OhViola: Micaela Fruend HaimovViolin: Shanrong Sabrina Tuo"Cavities"Niloufar Nourbakhsh - composerEnsemble for These TimesLylia Guion - ViolaMegan Chartier - CelloTaylor Chan - PianoApril 4, 2025San Francisco, CAGavotte in D MinorJ.S. BachMarguerite Andre-Chastel - pianoPathe PD 119"ASLSP" Chord ChangeFebruary 5, 2022Courtesy John Cage Organ Project HalberstadtRainer NeugebauerInterviewOctober 26, 2021"Beholding The Big Bang"Arthur Ganson, 2009"Longplayer"Jem Finer - composerLondon, 1999-2999"Olitsky"Ian D. Mellish (aka Mel)May 1987, Breck's Nook, York "310: ΩΣPx0(2^18×5^18)p*k*k*k"Bull Of Heavenbullofheaven.com"Our Love Is Here To Stay" George Gershwin & Vernon DukeRosemary Clooney & The Glenn Miller OrchestraNew Year's Eve PBS broadcast 1988Every attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program. The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public. Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content. "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose. We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 49 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet compels us to take action to Get Out The Vote! With the stakes so high it’s not enough to depend on just “likely voters”. How do we encourage and mobilize more voters to register and vote?We know that music has given people hope and inspired action in past times of crisis. Think of the songs that have been guiding lights for the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War era. Tune in and you’ll agree that this collection of songs will deliver that guiding light with purpose and energy!#getoutthevote, #election2026, # midterm2026, #vote2026, #royzimmerman, #marciataylor, #lisabastoni,#parlournoir

Episode 47 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is about “keeping the hearth fires burning.” Holding a safe, welcoming place for those with the passion to struggle against the dark forces that sometimes seem to be closing in on us. It's a tribute to those who battle, through acts small and large, to keep us safe. And it’s up to all of us to provide shelter for those heroes - spiritual nourishment - to keep their memories alive even if they're ground down in service to the larger community.#hearthfires, #crysmatthews, #davidgsmith, #tylerjenkins, #marychapincarpenter, #studentprotest, #littlevillagefoundation

Welcome to Episode 46.  We do a deep dive into what happens when governments and authorities ban music, with examples from Trinidad, India, Afghanistan, Russia, and Brazil.  Warren Senders interviews three experts: ethnomusicologist Matthew Rahaim (the 1941-1971 ban on the harmonium on India's national radio system), Derek Beckvold (the Afghanistan National Institute of Music after the Taliban), and Brazilian pianist and composer Henrique Eisenmann (Samba traditions as musical resistance).#censorship #samba #afghanistan #harmonium #trinidad #roentgenizdat #xrayrecords #matchbox #brazilMusic and VideoClaxton Bay Tamboo BambooLaventille Steelband FestivalTrinidad, August 4, 2013Courtesy World Steelpan Trustof Trinidad and Tobago"Music From Oil Drums"Documentary film producedby Pete & Toshi Seeger (1955)Community Steel BandTrinidad, 2013Courtesy YouTube useremlatham1Matt Rahaim InterviewJune 29, 2026Rajasthani GeetMohan & Lathib Khan — Dholak & HarmoniumCourtesy YouTube user #Healthy King"Jogi Rup Banayo Ravane"Mahomed Hoosein — Voice & HarmoniumRamagraph  572"Vande Mataram"Vishnupant Pagnis (1940)His Master's Voice – P. 13361"Tobu Mone Rekho (Remember Me Still)"Rabindranath Tagore (1932)Hindusthan Record Co — LH 98John Foulds - Essays in the Modes, Op. 78 (1928)Peter Jacobs — PianoAltarus Records – AIR-2-9001"Bajuband Kholo"Govindrao Tembe — HarmoniumHMV 78 — P 8942Drut gat in Raga BihagDr. Aravind Thatte — HarmoniumShri Ramdas Palsule — TablaGaanwardhan, Pune, IndiaMay 26, 2008Courtesy Chaitanya Kunte"Gaura Pooja"Vanita Willie - voiceProduced by Bunty Singh, Trinidad, 2021Courtesy West Indian Chutney Music"Mohammed dai nabiyana"Ustad Doray Logari — voiceRadio Afghanistan OrchestraAfghanistan: Music From The Crossroads Of AsiaNonesuch – H-72053Derek Beckvold InterviewJuly 28, 2026"Ay Doostan"Sarur Logari — VoiceMMC Cassette M-659 (1980s)"Afghanistan National Institute of MusicPolar Music Prize 2018 Official Announcement"Video by Polar Music Prize"Pahadi"Mohammed Omar — RababYAP Cassette R-101 (1980s)"Banghari Neem Khat Na Neem"Pashtun songAbdullah Muqurai(Voice & Harmonium)TAJ Video, courtesyYouTube user Agha"Youngsters Make Music inAfghan School" (2013)Video by World Bank"Ay Dil Ay Dil "Ahmed Zahir  (Voice & Harmonium)from "Ahmad Zahir Majlisi Volume 3"Pashtun Traditional Musicfor voice, rabab, tablaCourtesy YouTube user SijawalKhan"Chi Pa Sina " (Pashto song)Zarsanga — VoiceWith rabab, harmonium,tabla, and dholakPakistani TVCourtesy Imdad Ali"I'm In Love Again"Pat BooneSoviet X-Ray recordcourtesy Dimitry Seferov"Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree"The Andrews SistersSoviet X-Ray recordCourtesy Great American Songbook Foundation"Nie Pokiday (Don't Leave Me)"Pyotr LeshchenkoSoviet X-Ray record,Courtesy Clay Peek"Hippy Hippy Shake"The BeatlesSoviet X-Ray recordCourtesy George KhutsishviliHenrique Eisenmann InterviewJuly 8, 2026Capoeira DemonstrationAfro-Brazilian Block Party, 2012Granville Street  Vancouver, BC"Homenagem ao Malandro"Chico BuarqueBrazilian TV, December 25, 1978"Aquarela do Brasil"Francisco Alves & Mario Reis (1939)"O Sol Nascerá"Cartola & Elton Medeirosfrom the documentary film, "Meu Tempo é Hoje""Estrela"Eduardo Gudin & Elton MedeirosBrazilian TV appearance (1999)"Hello"Performed by Devin Ramoutar - harmoniumRohanshyam Deonarain — tabla & dholakBhisham Harripersad  — steel drumEvery attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program.  The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public. If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 45 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet addresses our need (as activists and as humans)  to care for ourselves and each other. We spotlight songs that celebrate the restorative, healing joy we find in music, humor, nature and dance– and in community, because ––even, or especially in dark times –  when we share positive energy, it can multiply exponentially, strengthening our courage and resistance, and clarifying our vision of a future worth fighting for. No kidding!#joyfulsongs, #healingjoy, #positiveenergy, #dancinginthestreets, #emmagoldman

Episode 44 is a profile of “Canopy Meg” — forest ecologist Meg Lowman, whose work revealed the “eighth continent” of life in treetop canopies everywhere.  Dr. Lowman talks with Warren Senders about her long career exploring forests all over the globe, and we share music on tree themes (including Meg’s own composition from 6th grade as played by Cool Tunes team member Seth Handelman!).#RainForests #Trees #Ecology #Music #Environment Music and Video"The Perfumed ForestWet With Rain"Abdullah Ibrahimfrom "Dollar Brand at Montreux"Enja ER-3079Interview with Meg LowmanMay 29, 2026"The Leaf Detective"Video trailer courtesyHeather Lang"Now Every Tree Renews"Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)The 200 SingersOctober 30, 2022"Underneath The Pines"COPYRIGHT 1996 David DodsonSung by Kallet, Epstein & Ciconefrom "Heartwalk" — Overall Music OM-3"First Indian Sketch"Charles Tomlinson Griffes — ComposerThe Kreiner QuartetFriends of Recorded MusicDisc 5-A"Somersaults in Song/Hannibal Air"Composed by Meg LowmanSeth Handelman — clarinet"Hark Each Tree Its Silence Breaks"Henry Purcell — ComposerPerformed by La Tempesta, PolandDecember 17, 2016"The Birks of Aberfeldie"Lyrics — Robert Burns, Tune traditionalPerformed by Jean Redpath, from"Sings the Songs of Robert Burns Vol. 5"Philo 1093Scotland photographscourtesy Meg LowmanSounds of the Tambourine rainforest,Australia, recorded by Jereme HeggeYagua Elders sing Ancestral SongsJanuary 19, 2026Outside Iquitos, PeruCourtesy Conscious Collective &Paititi InstituteAmazon canopy walkway videoCourtesy Tree Foundation"Saghan bana bole re koyaliya"Khyal in Raga Maru BihagSung by the Kashyap BrothersVadodara, India, April 4, 2020Courtesy Komal Nishaad"Prayer of Praise to the Creator"Bahta Church, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaUnesco Anthology of African MusicBM 30L 2304Ethiopia photographs & videocourtesy The Tree FoundationBa'Aka Pygmy videoCourtesy Michelle Kisliuk"Alus — Spirit of the Tiger"Hala Alus, Ulu Nenggiri, KelantanDecember 3, 1941Upper Perak, MalayaFrom "Temiar Dream Music of Malaya"Folkways FE 4460 (1955)Penang Bioblitz videocourtesy Tree Foundation"Redwood"Paul Chihara — composerRose Wollman — ViolaRoss Erickson — PercussionApril 24, 2013"Tree of Life"Dorothy Carter & Bob RutmanFrom "Waillee Waillee"Celeste CR 1004 (1978)"Fleurette Africaine (African Flower"Composed by Duke EllingtonPerformed by Ed EastridgeAugust 2014"Now Every Tree Renews"Thomas Weelkes — ComposerThe Electric Madrigal SocietyDirected by Elliot Thompson"Lý Cây Đa (The Banyan Tree)"Vietnamese folk songPerformed by Nguyễn Thanh ThuỷEvery attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program. The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public. Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content. "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose. We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 43 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet celebrates the 250 thanniversary of our country, with songs of tribute to what America is really all about – the strength of immigrants, and the richness of the diverse cultures they bring to the party; the nobility of the working man and woman, upon whose shoulders we all stand; the gifts of freedom and democracy, as we extend our hands to those less fortunate who need a lift up – and how that act lifts all of us.#democracy250, #america250, #steveearle, #brockpeters, #cashvilletrashpandas, #balladforamericans, #alisonmoore, #jeanroheVideos"City of Immigrants"performed by Steve Earle"Ballad for Americans, Part 4"performed by Brock Peters"Handful of Earth (The Worker's Song)performed by The Cashville Trash Pandas"Liberty"performed by Alison Moore"National Anthem: Arise! Arise!"performed by Jean Rohe

Episode 41 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet speaks to the plight of workingclass folks suffering under the thumb of corporate exploitation, the rise of fascist cruelty, and the betrayal of America’s social compact by leaders who seem determined to undermine our ethics and betray our trust. But just naming these evils for what they are is the first step to creating a community of resistance and righteousness.

Episode 40 is a dive into the extraordinary world of Climate Choirs, as Warren interviews Chris Hutchings of the UK-based clearinghouse Choirs For Climate. Hear and watch choral singing on environmental themes, including many selections of Hutchings' own music as well as performance excerpts from the 1000-singer mega-concert presented in Finland in 2024 by Choirs For Ecocide Law.For more information check these links:https://choirsforclimate.com/https://www.stopecocide.earth/choirshttps://craftycarrot.co.uk/another-world/"Another World"Jane Lewis, composertext by Arundhati RoyChoirs For Climate Concert,March 5, 2025,Edinburgh, Scotland"Let Them Not Say"Chris Hutchings, composerJane Hirshfield, textThe Piedmont SingersHelena von Rueden - directorApril 22, 2021"Warming Warning"Chris Hutchings, composerMilan Jazz School Choir,Giorgio Ubaldi, DirectorAugust 15, 2024,Milan, Italy"I Was Listening To A Pogrom"Michael Rosen, text,Chris Hutchings, composerLoré Lixenberg — Voice,Rolf Hind — Piano“Occupy The Pianos" Concert,October 18, 2020,St John’s Smith Square, London"When The Snow Came"Chris Hutchings — ComposerKantos Chamber ChoirEllie Slorach — DirectorDecember 18, 2021"Why We Sing"Chris Hutchings, composerChoirs For Climate Concert,March 5, 2025,Edinburgh, Scotland"The Turmut-Hoer's Song"Sung by Fred Perrier & VillagersWest Lavington, Wiltshire, 1951From Lomax & Kennedy:"World Library of Folk & Primitive Music"Columbia SL 206"Melisommelos, or the Bees Madrigal"Rev. Charles Butler (1623)Choir of Little St. Mary'sSimon Jackson, Director"Our House Is On Fire"Commoners ChoirMarch 29, 2023"The Rules"Chris Hutchings - music and lyricsPerformed by Grex Musicus,Kirsi Tunkkari - conductor (Finland)Choirs for Ecocide Law Mega-concert, Musiikkitalo, Helsinki, Finland, April 27th, 2024"Creation"Kevin Fox - music,Astrid Vang Pedersen - textPerformed by Flok (Helsinki, Finland)Choirs for Ecocide Law Mega-concert,Musiikkitalo, Helsinki,Finland, April 27th, 2024"We Used to Know"Astrid Vang Pedersen- music and lyricsPerformed by Philomela,Jennifer Moir - conductor (Finland)Choirs for Ecocide Law Mega-concert,Musiikkitalo, Helsinki,Finland, April 27th, 2024"I Wanna See You Free"Simon Tandberg Christensen - words & musicPerformed by Vaskivuoren Lukion Kamarikuoro,Anni-Kaisa Haukka - conductor  (Finland)Choirs for Ecocide Law Mega-concert,Musiikkitalo, Helsinki,Finland, April 27th, 2024"Ask Not"Peder Karlsson - music and textPerformed by Tampereen IhankaikkinenKuninkaallinen Tuomiokuoro,Petra Poutanen, conductor (Finland)Choirs for Ecocide Law Mega-concert,Musiikkitalo, Helsinki,Finland, April 27th, 2024"Send Lazarus"Chris Hutchings, composerChoirs For Climate Concert,March 5, 2025,Edinburgh, Scotland"Monster"Chris Hutchings, composerMarch 28, 2025,Oxford UniversityMuseum of Natural HistoryCity of Oxford Choir,Duncan Aspden, director"Hope" — Merzi Rajala - music,Emily Dickenson - textPerformed by VaskivuorenLukion Kamarikuoro,Anni-Kaisa Haukka -conductor  (Finland)Choirs for Ecocide LawMega-concert,Musiikkitalo, Helsinki,Finland, April 27th, 2024Every attempt has been made to secure permission from copyright holders of audio and video content used in this program. The use of copyrighted material is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public. Copyrighted material used is supplementary and illustrative, and does not detract from the commercial value of the original content. "Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet" uses only the minimum amount of copyrighted material to fulfill its educational purpose. We believe our use constitutes "Fair Use" of this material as provided for in the US Copyright Act of 1976, Sections 106A-117.If you feel any content in this episode violates your copyright, please contact us immediately and we will address your concern appropriately.

Episode 39 of Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is about honoring the rebirth of springtime, the workers who bring life to the community, and the elders who have held strong to the harmony of the planet despite centuries of opposition and pollution. Building on the mandate of April’s Earth Day, now is the time to put those good ideas into action, and move forward together to bring peace and justice to an ailing world.