Programming Archive

Stevie Wonder is the object of the SF Jazz Collective's affection. Their bright new arrangements re-imagine the Wonder works and light up the Rose Theater. Don't miss this Jazz Appreciation Month special.

In an encore episode, Steve D'Agostino of Best Rate of Climb interviews Sister Hilda Ponte (shown, center), president of the Board of Trustees, Dr. David Fredette, EdD (shown, left), head of school, and Paul Jourcin (shown, right), co-director of admissions at Venerini Academy. They talk about surviving and thriving as a private, Catholic school in a tough economy.

Venerini Academy in Worcester is a 67-year-old, private, Catholic, pre-kindergarten-through-grade-8 school that provides well-rounded, faith-based and comparably priced education. The school is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

The motto of Venerini Academy: “To Educate Is To Liberate.” The school does this by teaching its students how to liberate their minds, empower their souls and live the Good Word in a highly supportive atmosphere of academic excellence, safety, small class size, and innovative, values-based learning that fosters mutual respect and self-discipline. 

A couple of years after “the troubles,” which are discussed during the interview, Venerini Academy is alive and well. It is maintaining a remarkably low teacher-to-student ratio. In addition, Venerini Academy is one of the local schools taking an educational lead with an iPad program for 3^rd and 6^th grades. It also has a co-curricular Mandarin Chinese language program, with French, Latin and Spanish as parts of that curriculum.

Venerini Academy teaches in the Catholic tradition. However, it is open to children of all faiths and non-faiths, with limited financial aid available for those in need.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Steve D'Agostino serves as a volunteer member of the Board of Trustees and does volunteer public-relations work for Venerini Academy.

This April 6th, Brooklyn born pianist-composer and bandleader Randy Weston celebrates his 87th birthday. Described by Piano Jazz luminary Marian McPartland as "one of the world's great visionary pianists and composers", Weston has been an influential voice not only in jazz but also the U.S. civil rights movement and raising awareness to the African diaspora. World renown for his storytelling, Weston released his Autobiography entitled African Rhythms in 2010. Weston's signature percussive rhythmic style reflects his dedication to connecting the American "classical" music with its African roots. Catch Colors of Jazz when the NEA Jazz Master jazz pianist and 2011 Guggenheim Fellow joins Bonnie Johnson to talk about his musical journey, cultural explorations and upcoming April 18th performance at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall in Boston, MA.

Our special guest on Inquiry tonight is KATRINA van GROUW. She was the former Curator of the ornithological collections at London’s Natural History Museum. She is also a taxidermist, birder, bird bander and a fine artist. The book THE UNFEATHERED BIRD is a stunning collection of her unconventional drawings of birds from around the world. Most of these artworks show species of birds without feathers, many without skin and muscles. But this is not a book about bird anatomy, but rather a rich visual mediation on how birds move and live, done with deep beauty and wit. The Unfeathered Bird is like no other contemporary natural history art book. Tune in and learn why.