How Music Does That

How Music Does That

Dale McGowan

Music -- just vibrations in the air -- can make you feel heartbroken or elated, peaceful or stabby, inspired to save the whales or to invade Poland. This is HOW MUSIC DOES THAT.Click the website link to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The 1977 Line

The 1977 Line

One film changed science fiction scoring for good. So far.

Aug 11, 2024 • 24:35

The Haunting of Figure 8

The Haunting of Figure 8

Schoolhouse Rock was always great. But the music from one particular episode has haunted us down the years.

Jul 24, 2024 • 17:32

How MUZAK Does That

How MUZAK Does That

How did wall-to-wall music find its way into every public space? Meet General George Squier.

Feb 13, 2024 • 20:17

Riffing on Each Other

Riffing on Each Other

How a few inaccurate jingles came to represent entire cultures.

Jan 7, 2024 • 23:45

Anatomy of an Earworm

Anatomy of an Earworm

After a month at the mercy of an earworm, I found the cure. Then it all went wrong.

Dec 14, 2023 • 17:41

When the Music Doesn't Trust You

When the Music Doesn't Trust You

The mark of a great film score is knowing when to shut up.

Oct 29, 2023 • 31:19

Unsung

Unsung

They are some of your favorite artists of all time. And you don't even know their names.

Oct 15, 2023 • 27:10

The King of Space-Age Pop!

The King of Space-Age Pop!

HOW MUSIC DOES THAT returns with a Mexican bandleader whose coloristic imagination defined the sound of the space age.

Sep 30, 2023 • 26:41

Clap When You Damn Well Please [Encore]

Clap When You Damn Well Please [Encore]

The revolution starts right damn now.

Jan 2, 2022 • 26:55

The Bagpipe Incident on Which I Thought We Had Agreed Not to Dwell [Encore]

The Bagpipe Incident on Which I Thought We Had Agreed Not to Dwell [Encore]

30,000 people. 16 measures. One bad decision.

Dec 8, 2021 • 19:37

The Evolution of Cool [Encore]

The Evolution of Cool [Encore]

The quality of 'cool' in music has deep evolutionary roots in the brain.

Nov 28, 2021 • 14:26

Grooves [Encore]

Grooves [Encore]

In Hungary, road plays you!

Nov 11, 2021 • 16:36

Beethoven Was Deaf [Encore]

Beethoven Was Deaf [Encore]

That's not the amazing part.

Oct 28, 2021 • 26:30

Silence [Encore]

Silence [Encore]

Sometimes the greatest moment in music is the one you don't hear.

Sep 29, 2021 • 22:47

Where Did We Put Vivaldi? [Encore]

Where Did We Put Vivaldi? [Encore]

After greatness came one bad decision—and then, the forgetting.

Sep 15, 2021 • 22:30

Encore: Stop Practicing, You're Ruining EVERYTHING

Encore: Stop Practicing, You're Ruining EVERYTHING

Sometimes it's supposed to hurt.

Sep 1, 2021 • 18:55

ENCORE: The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

ENCORE: The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

Eight hundred years ago, they left the church and found the world.

Aug 19, 2021 • 22:43

ENCORE: The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

ENCORE: The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

Put on the good Dockers, Chad. We're going in.

Aug 3, 2021 • 21:54

ENCORE: The Bones of Yellow Brick Road

ENCORE: The Bones of Yellow Brick Road

Most covers stay on the surface. Sara Bareilles got down into the bones.

Jul 14, 2021 • 20:43

ENCORE: The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

ENCORE: The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

Let's have a wild time.

Jun 30, 2021 • 18:40

The Worst Song In The World

The Worst Song In The World

It could be worse. Just kidding.

Jun 16, 2021 • 17:26

The Man Who Tried to Strangle Film Music in Its Crib

The Man Who Tried to Strangle Film Music in Its Crib

Sternberg didn't like film music—until he needed it.

Jun 2, 2021 • 21:18

ENCORE: As White as Classical

ENCORE: As White as Classical

Classical music isn't that white by accident -- and it can't afford to stay that way.

May 26, 2021 • 24:08

When You Were Twelve

When You Were Twelve

If you love a song you don't really care about, see if it's from the year you were 12.

May 19, 2021 • 12:45

When Mind and Music Fall Apart

When Mind and Music Fall Apart

Can music capture the experience of dementia?

May 5, 2021 • 38:17

Dickinson's Island, and Other Unholy Monsters

Dickinson's Island, and Other Unholy Monsters

When I was a boy, I sat bored in church, trying to break a code.

Apr 21, 2021 • 14:37

The Unwiggled String

The Unwiggled String

Children are taught to fear and avoid this sound. All the more reason to love it.

Apr 8, 2021 • 17:40

The Long Way Home in 'Hallelujah'

The Long Way Home in 'Hallelujah'

The lyrics are poetic and evocative. But let's talk about that long trip home.

Mar 23, 2021 • 23:12

Black Shanty

Black Shanty

Sea shanties grew in black soil.

Feb 17, 2021 • 17:01

Where Did We Put Vivaldi?

Where Did We Put Vivaldi?

Antonio Vivaldi was a very big deal -- and then he wasn't. But he had a plan.

Jan 17, 2021 • 22:30

TikTok and the Hypnotics

TikTok and the Hypnotics

For a few weeks, TikTok forged an unholy alliance of banjo, yodeling, and scientific notation.

Dec 31, 2020 • 17:51

TikTok and the Vibe

TikTok and the Vibe

Sometimes you find the Vibe. Sometimes the Vibe finds you.

Nov 18, 2020 • 24:01

Music is Made of Time

Music is Made of Time

The fact that music unfolds over time is key to understanding its unique power.

Oct 4, 2020 • 10:01

The Deep Playlist of Generation Z

The Deep Playlist of Generation Z

'Wait a minute - how do YOU know Purple Haze?!'

Sep 29, 2020 • 15:01

Yeah, But Why THOSE 4 Chords?

Yeah, But Why THOSE 4 Chords?

It has to do with monkeys, somehow.

Sep 14, 2020 • 15:41

Whose Monkey Chant Is It Anyway?

Whose Monkey Chant Is It Anyway?

It's an electrifying cry from the ancient heart of Bali. Or is it?

Aug 16, 2020 • 17:38

As White as Classical

As White as Classical

Classical music isn't that white by accident -- and it can't afford to stay that way.

Jul 29, 2020 • 23:51

The Words Get In the Way

The Words Get In the Way

Strip language away, and the human voice becomes a pure instrument of emotion.

Jul 21, 2020 • 23:03

Shortcut: How I Solved the Musical Mystery of My Life

Shortcut: How I Solved the Musical Mystery of My Life

One tune tormented me since I was two. I finally figured out why.

May 31, 2020 • 7:15

The Epitome Trap

The Epitome Trap

Before every music course I teach, I have the same argument with myself.

May 9, 2020 • 17:50

Minimal.

Minimal.

One of the most powerful stylistic movements in music starts with a simple idea.

Apr 16, 2020 • 27:51

The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

The Aging White Suburban Music Professor's Guide to Hip Hop

Put on the good Dockers, Chad. We're going in.

Apr 11, 2020 • 21:54

When Ravel Met Ravel

When Ravel Met Ravel

Piano Ravel and Orchestra Ravel are both great. They met only twice.

Mar 21, 2020 • 21:24

Clap When You Damn Well Please

Clap When You Damn Well Please

There's a reason we don't clap between movements in classical music. It's a bad reason, and we're going to kill it. The revolution starts right damn now.

Mar 7, 2020 • 26:55

Silence

Silence

Sometimes the greatest moment in music is silence.

Feb 23, 2020 • 22:47

The Dead and the Impossible

The Dead and the Impossible

Mussorgsky asked the impossible. Ravel made it happen.

Feb 7, 2020 • 16:35

Grooves

Grooves

In Hungary, road plays you!

Jan 25, 2020 • 16:36

Too Many Notes!

Too Many Notes!

WARNING: This episode contains too many notes.

Jan 10, 2020 • 21:31

The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

The Rage of the Third Sons (Carmina Burana)

Eight hundred years ago, they left the church and found the world.

Dec 19, 2019 • 22:43

Missing Music

Missing Music

I'm haunted by the music I'll never hear.

Nov 28, 2019 • 18:56

Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah

Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah

Why do kids in many cultures taunt each other with a falling minor third?

Nov 8, 2019 • 17:19

The Jabberwocky of Harry Potter

The Jabberwocky of Harry Potter

How the muggle and wizarding worlds collide in the Harry Potter theme.

Oct 25, 2019 • 11:18

The Magical Bell Piano

The Magical Bell Piano

For magic and wonder, there's one go-to instrument.

Oct 12, 2019 • 14:01

Stop Practicing, You're Ruining EVERYTHING

Stop Practicing, You're Ruining EVERYTHING

This episode is not about Pavarotti.

Sep 25, 2019 • 18:55

The Bones of Yellow Brick Road

The Bones of Yellow Brick Road

Most covers stay on the surface. Sara Bareilles got down into the bones.

Sep 14, 2019 • 20:43

The Fingerprints of Music

The Fingerprints of Music

I can name that tune in...one motive.

Aug 26, 2019 • 15:03

Beethoven was Deaf

Beethoven was Deaf

Beethoven composed while deaf -- but that's not the amazing part.

Aug 9, 2019 • 26:30

Disoriented

Disoriented

Sometimes meter will mess with your head.

Jul 25, 2019 • 13:47

The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

From Sting theory to a wedding in Bulgaria, it's meters gone wild.

Jul 11, 2019 • 18:40

Sometimes It's the Little Things

Sometimes It's the Little Things

The most captivating piece by the most famous composer you've never heard of.

Jun 27, 2019 • 16:57

The Mellotron

The Mellotron

It was a middle-class party trick. Then it changed rock and roll.

Jun 5, 2019 • 15:57

Simplicity, in Three Pärts

Simplicity, in Three Pärts

When music is stripped down to its essentials, every note matters.

May 23, 2019 • 19:22

The Gnome

The Gnome

'The Gnome' is a creepy masterclass in orchestration.

May 13, 2019 • 18:01

Mister Rogers and the Musical Easter Egg

Mister Rogers and the Musical Easter Egg

Fred Rogers hid a geeky musical inside joke in his theme song.

Apr 29, 2019 • 14:41

Isn't It Iconic?

Isn't It Iconic?

A computer has chosen the most iconic song ever. Time for the human rebuttal.

Apr 11, 2019 • 13:58

Wolfie's Alarm Clock (The Leading Tone)

Wolfie's Alarm Clock (The Leading Tone)

One note has been teasing you, making promises to you, and leading you home your whole life.

Apr 3, 2019 • 11:25

The Bagpipe Incident on Which I Thought We Had Agreed Not to Dwell

The Bagpipe Incident on Which I Thought We Had Agreed Not to Dwell

30,000 people. 16 measures. One bad decision.

Mar 26, 2019 • 19:37

When Pianos Land in Oz

When Pianos Land in Oz

Oh, little piano piece. You're not in Kansas anymore.

Mar 5, 2019 • 19:59

Hating Your Golden Goose

Hating Your Golden Goose

There's a reason so many songwriters hate the one that made them famous.

Feb 26, 2019 • 14:06

I Coulda Been Peter Best

I Coulda Been Peter Best

So I wasn't going to be John Williams. But I had one Hail Mary left.

Feb 19, 2019 • 18:45

I Coulda Been John Williams

I Coulda Been John Williams

Just in time for the Oscars, I found my abandoned dream in a box.

Feb 12, 2019 • 21:19

Yes, 'Stairway' Was Stolen... Just Like Everything Else

Yes, 'Stairway' Was Stolen... Just Like Everything Else

The 'Stairway' lawsuit was based on a modern myth about how music is created.

Feb 5, 2019 • 20:43

Two Kinds of Hurt

Two Kinds of Hurt

Johnny's gonna be fine -- but I'm worried about Trent.

Jan 29, 2019 • 10:20

Dissonance is Delicious

Dissonance is Delicious

Music without dissonance is like a rollercoaster without hills. It's light rail.

Jan 22, 2019 • 15:28

The Pokémon Suicide Song

The Pokémon Suicide Song

From the Satanic Panic to Pokémon, a creepy folklore often bubbles under our music.

Jan 15, 2019 • 16:41

Surprise Part 2 - The Rite of Spring

Surprise Part 2 - The Rite of Spring

Beethoven lit a fuse that burned for 89 years. This was the boom.

Jan 8, 2019 • 18:45

A Brief History of Surprise (I)

A Brief History of Surprise (I)

Whether music surprises you depends on where your ears have been.

Jan 1, 2019 • 20:05

The Music That Broke My Heart

The Music That Broke My Heart

Without lyrics or even a descriptive title -- nothing but vibrations in the air -- this piece brings people to tears. Here's how.

Nov 5, 2018 • 25:29

Every Note is a Chord

Every Note is a Chord

It's a hidden key to music's emotional power. And it's not all that hidden.

Oct 28, 2018 • 14:00

The Moment I Surrendered to John Williams

The Moment I Surrendered to John Williams

I had never felt so tangibly dropped into another world.

Oct 21, 2018 • 12:49

Shortcut: The Most Hopeful Music in the World

Shortcut: The Most Hopeful Music in the World

Even starting this piece was an act of pure optimism. Now to finish it.

Oct 13, 2018 • 8:46

Cage Unlocked

Cage Unlocked

Silence is just the beginning.

Oct 7, 2018 • 19:04

The Masterpiece I Never Heard Of

The Masterpiece I Never Heard Of

In which two little kids knew a big thing I didn't know. And I'm okay with that. No really.

Sep 29, 2018 • 17:23

Let's Get Sad with Galileo's Dad

Let's Get Sad with Galileo's Dad

A gorgeous technique to unify emotion in music has been passed down from the Renaissance to Radiohead.

Sep 22, 2018 • 16:35

When Truman Touches the Wall

When Truman Touches the Wall

From a Bach fugue to Diana's funeral to Truman's wall, this technique is the music of finality.

Sep 15, 2018 • 13:11

The Strange DNA of a Surf Song

The Strange DNA of a Surf Song

The edgy, powerful electric guitar tune that kicks off Pulp Fiction has a long and surprising history.

Sep 8, 2018 • 16:21

The Evolution of Cool

The Evolution of Cool

The quality of "cool" in music has deep roots in the evolution of the brain.

Sep 1, 2018 • 14:26

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