John Williams and the Chamber of Star Wars

Episode from David Walliams Marvellous Musical Podcast

In this episode, David Walliams explores the music of John Williams with his usual humor and wacky approach.  John Williams is the composer of the musical soundtrack for many great movies including Jaws, Superman – The Movie, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Seven Years in Tibet, Saving Private Ryan and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Listening Section

Here is just a small selection of John Williams’ music.  See how many you recognize.

Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter

Excerpt from Jaws

Star Wars Conducted by John Williams!

John Williams Conducts The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back

Superman

Flying Theme from E.T.

Weird Instruments

Episode from David Walliams Marvellous Musical Podcast

In this episode, David Walliams explores the world of Weird Instruments with his usual humor and wacky approach.

Listening Section

Unusual Instruments

More Unusual Instruments

Rube Goldberg Machine Piano.  Can you tell what song it’s playing?

Rube-Goldberg’esque Music Machine (Powered by Intel and LabVIEW)

It Takes One To Piano One

Episode from David Walliams Marvellous Musical Podcast

In this episode, David Walliams presents the history of the piano with his usual humor and wacky approach.

Listening Section

Here are some of the pianists and musical pieces mentioned in the edisode you just listened to.  Enjoy some beautiful piano playing.

Beethoven’s Fur Elise
Performed by Lang Lang

Chiara Massini plays Bach’s Zweistimmige Inventionen (BWV 772-778) on the harpsichord.

An Introduction To The Harpsichord

Harpsichord Performance: Comparone Plays Scarlatti

The Making of a Steinway Piano.

A very detailed video about how pianos work.

Martha Argerich Chopin Scherzo 3 cis-moll op.39

Glenn Gould Playing The Art of the Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach

Glenn Gould Playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations.  Really pretty.  Listen as closely and quietly as you can.

Chopin Nocturne E Flat Major Op.9 No.2

Duke Ellington: Take the A Train (solo piano)

Thelonious Monk Playing Duke Ellington’s Music

1.Satin Doll
2.Sophisticated Lady
3.Caravan
4.Solitude
5.Unknown Monk Tune 6.Blues For Duke
7.And I Love Her (Bonus)

Live At The Berlin Jazz Festival 1969

How Does Music Move Us?

Another episode of But Why?

We’re turning things around! Instead of you sending us the question, this time we’re asking the question and looking to you for some answers. We wanted to explore why music moves us.

Sometimes it makes you feel like moving physically — wiggling, spinning, shaking and shimmying. And sometimes it moves you emotionally — makes you feel happiness or sadness or it brings back a strong memory.
But why does music make us feel all the feels? When you listen to music, it goes straight to your brain.

How Does Music Move Us?