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Twenty Thousand Hertz episodes
- The Song Hunter: How Alan Lomax saved the sounds of America
Alan Lomax believed that the culture of poor Americans was important and worthy of saving. So he spent decades traveling the American South and recording obscure musicians on their front porches, in churches, even in prisons. Today, he's considered an American icon, but the road to becoming a legend wasn't an easy one. Featuring Southern Historical Collection archivist Chaitra Powell, American Folklife Center curator Todd Harvey, and filmmaker Rogier Kappers.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Archival recordings in this episode came from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity.
Check out Rogier's documentary "Lomax the Songhunter" on Amazon.
For more information on the crowdsourcing project for transcribing Alan Lomax's notes, visit https://crowd.loc.gov/campaigns/alan-lomax/
Subscribe to The Wind where ever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/soundsworthsaving
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25 min - From Klingon to Dothraki: How sci-fi languages shape worlds
Sci-fi and fantasy creators often use constructed languages (or conlangs) to help us believe that the characters come from ancient times or distant galaxies. But what happens when a fictional language jumps off the screen and into the real world? This story comes from the Imaginary Worlds podcast.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Subscribe to Imaginary Worlds wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/conlang
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min - Space Audity: The challenges of space communication
We've all heard the iconic recordings from the Apollo missions. But how exactly does NASA manage to run live audio between Earth and the moon? And how might we chat with astronauts on Mars and beyond? Featuring Astronaut Peggy Whitson, NASA Audio Engineer Alexandria Perryman, and Astrophysicist Paul Sutter.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Check out Ask a Spaceman wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/spaceaudity
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 min - Sonic Utopia: Can we build a better sounding world?
Technology has the power to transform the way our world sounds. It could even give us entirely new ways to experience our surroundings. In this episode, we explore the sounds of the future, and how we can use the tools we already have to build a better sounding world. Featuring Rose Eveleth, Creator and Host of the podcast Flash Forward, Acoustician Andrew Pyzdek, and Architect Chris Downey.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Subscribe to Flash Forward wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/sonicutopia
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 min - The Cyborg, The Scientist, and the Death of Silence
Sound surrounds us, even in the quietest moments. But depending on how we hear, the world can be a different auditory experience for each of us. This episode features four stories from the TED Radio Hour.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Subscribe to the TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/soundandsilence
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
49 min - Dies Irae: The death melody haunting Hollywood
For hundreds of years, composers have been using a specific four-note melody to evoke death. It's appeared in dozens of famous movies, and you probably never even realized it. But once you hear it, you'll start noticing it everywhere. Featuring musicologist Alex Ludwig and Strong Songs Host Kirk Hamilton.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Check out Alex’s list of Dies Irae examples at alexludwig.net.
Subscribe to Strong Songs where ever you get your podcasts.
Check out The Graduale Project’s Youtube page for more Latin chants.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/diesirae
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min - Perfect Pitch: Unlocking Jacob Collier’s musical brilliance
People with perfect or "absolute" pitch hear every single sound as precise musical notes. Is this extraordinary talent a blessing or a curse? In this episode, we dive into the neuroscience, pluses and pitfalls of absolute pitch. Featuring neuroscientist Daniel Levitin and Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Check out Barnaby Martin’s YouTube channel, Listening In.
Order Daniel Levitin’s book, This Is Your Brain On Music.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/perfectpitch
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 min - Tyrannosaurus FX: What dinosaurs really sounded like
When you imagine the sound of a dinosaur, you probably think of a scene from the Jurassic Park movies. How do sound designers make these extinct creatures sound so believably alive? And what does modern paleontology tell us about what dinosaurs REALLY sounded like? Featuring Jurassic World sound designer Al Nelson, and paleontologist Julia Clarke.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/tyrannosaurusfx
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 min - Napster: How free music broke the industry
In less than two years, Napster became a global sensation... and then record labels and multi-platinum artists brought it crashing down. But in its short lifespan, Napster transformed our ideas about how we consume music, and how much we're willing to pay for it. This story comes from the podcast Spectacular Failures.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Subscribe to Spectacular Failures wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/napster
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37 min - Vocal Discords: When nodules silence singers
Musicians like Justin Timberlake, Adele, Björk and Rod Stewart have all had surgery to treat vocal nodes. Nodes are so widely discussed, they've almost become a boogeyman in the singing community. But is this condition really as common as people fear? And when nodes do develop, is all hope truly lost? Featuring vocal coach Katie Talbot and Professor and Chairman of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department at Drexel University of Medicine Dr. Robert Sataloff.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Learn how you can protect your voice at nidcd.nih.gov.
Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/vocaldiscords
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 min
About Twenty Thousand Hertz
From the publisher's feed
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. Whether you're a professional audio engineer with decades of experience, a fourth grader who loves sound and music, or…
anyone in between, Twenty Thousand Hertz will help unlock your sonic world… from the sound design secrets of hit movies, to the sonic craft of jingles and device sounds, to the forgotten backstories of classic theme songs, to linguistic mysteries, psychoacoustics, video game music, animal communication, and beyond. With moving human stories, immersive sound design, and the guiding voice of host Dallas Taylor, Twenty Thousand Hertz has grown into the world’s leading podcast about sound.
New to the show? Start here:
• I'm Lovin' It: How “Ba da ba ba ba” took over the world
• The Art of Foley: Bringing Slimer & Batman to life
• Tudum! The story behind the iconic Netflix sound
• Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo's 8-Bit Masterpiece
• Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios
• A sonic journey through the Solar System
• Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices
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