Celebrating or even acknowledging All Saints and All Souls Day has never been on my to-do list. That's primarily because I wasn't fully aware of these long-standing holidays until I began preparing this show.

I was moved when reading the many passionate comments on my previous blog post. I'm keen to know what you have to say, so please express yourself, and keep the comments coming.

Since the first panpipes, musicians have attempted to imitate the human voice in non-vocal music. 

Jazz pianist and composer Lucian Ban hails from Cluj, Transylvania, Romania, but currently lives in New York City where is part of the next generation of performers and composers at the forefront of modern jazz. He tells the story of his upcoming project ENESCU re-IMAGINED at Merkin Hall.

Whenever I travel outside of the U.S., I'm always struck by the presence of American music, particularly our popular music.  You hear it in hotels, clubs, on cruise ships, etc. People around the world respond viscerally to our music even if they're not English speakers. So on this week's Q2, we'll delve into the roots of American music and take a closer look at the movers and shakers that created its innovative sounds.

Long before I took my first piano lesson, I was drawn to music.  Aside from the sound, I was moved by the effect I saw it having on those around me, especially in church.  I was amazed at the gamut of emotions music evoked there, and this curiosity has led to a life-long relationship with music.  To this day, I'm just as thrilled and appreciative when I hear incredible, inspiring music, whether it was written centuries ago or earlier this morning.

Who needs radio? Online, you can pursue your enthusiasms to their deepest nooks and crannies, but with radio, you have no control over content. In this age of digital dissemination, when everything is available all the time, when you can use your computer to seek and find practically any recording you can think of, why would you listen to the radio?

Yeah, New York is pretty great. We've all heard the spiel a million times: bustle, energy,  culture, sleep deprivation.... As well-worn as this notion may be, it's also true! Eight million individuals living so close to one another spawn cultural evolution with unbeatable depth and speed. But, you know, this is all super biased. I love this city hard...

Do You Q2?! We hope you will and welcome to the first post of the Q2 blog. Over the next few months, we're going to be welcoming commentary and insights from musicians, composers, commentators, producers, artists, everyone and anyone involved in uncovering and sharing the rhythms of our world.