Earlier this month, the New York Times and its music critics caused a bit of a dustup with its "30 Greatest Living American Songwriters" list. Tough assignment — and no list like that is going to make everyone happy.
But the real drama happened in the responses: how the critics responded to criticism, and arguments for who should have been on that list.
Musicians and writers — including Rick Beato, Ted Gioa, and Brad Meldau — jumped into the fray with their thoughts not just on the choices, but on how those choices are made (Did Billy Joel belong on the list? Or at least deserve a little more respect from the critics?).
This hour, guest host Mona Seghatoleslami and local music experts talk about the art and the craft of songwriting.
In studio:
- Dave Chisholm, Ph.D., trumpet player, composer, educator, and cartoonist
- Anna Reguero, Ph.D., arts journalist, music scholar, and founding editor of Rochester Overture
- Rissa the Righter, musician and songwriter
