Music & Film

The Champ has been used in experiments to see if depressed people are more likely to cry than non-depressed people.

The Saddest Movie in the World

How do you make someone cry for the sake of science? The answer lies in a young Ricky Schroder

Born in 1940, Levon Helm showed an early gift on the drums. Growing up on a cotton farm, music became his way out of a hard-labor life.

Levon Helm’s Rocking Rambles

The '60s rock great died today. Last July, our writer visited Helm for one of his famous Saturday night music throwdowns

Eddie Van Halen recently donated his custom-made guitar named Frankenstein 2 to the National Museum of American History.

Q and A with Eddie Van Halen

The rock guitarist talks about his custom-made Frankenstein 2 that is now in the collections of the American History museum

A new Folkways album is one of many offerings for the war sesquicentennial.

Civil Discourse

Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 where he was an acoustic icon. The following year, he went electric.

The Top 10 Moments of Bob Dylan’s Career

We have selected 10 of the many pivotal events that have shaped his tumultuous life

After minor chart success, the O'Jays had considered calling it quits before Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble revived their career with chart-topping hits.

Forty Years of Philadelphia Sound

Songwriters Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble composed tunes with political messages for chart-toppers like the O’Jays and Billy Paul

Alvino Rey may not be a household name today, but Rey's genre-busting fretwork in electric music's nascent years helped set the stage for modern rock.

Alvino Rey’s Musical Legacy

As the father of the electric guitar and grandfather of two members of Arcade Fire, Rey was a major influence on rock for decades

Maurice Hines, left, joins his brother Gregory (now deceased) in the finale of the smash 1981 Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies.

Maurice Hines on the Legacy of the Apollo Theater

The legendary dancer talks about starting his career in Harlem and his upcoming Sammy Davis Jr. project

Featuring the musical and comedic talents of African-American performers for decades, the landmark Harlem theater transformed popular entertainment.

Show Time at the Apollo

A stellar roster of African-American singers, dancers and comedians got their start at the venue, celebrating its 75-year history

No matter what type of music they played, says Apache guitarist Stevie Salas, Native Americans "seemed to share a common rhythmic thread."

The Pop Charts' Native Roots

From country music ballads to rock power chords, Native Americans left a lasting impression on the soundtrack of the 20th century

"Jazz implicitly communicates some of the most cherished core values of our society," says John Edward Hasse.

The Smithsonian's Ambassador of Jazz

Music curator John Edward Hasse travels the globe teaching the genre that revolutionized American music

As musicians, locals and tourists converge in Lapa, it has become the musical heart of Rio de Janeiro.

Rio’s Music is Alive and Well

Brazil’s music scene may be known for beats such as bossa nova, but newer sounds are making waves on the streets of Rio

George Gershwin's time in the Carolinas launched the musician on such a spree of creativity that it led to what some critics call one of his finest works.

Summertime for George Gershwin

Porgy and Bess debuted 75 years ago this fall, but a visit to South Carolina the year before gave life to Gershwin's masterpiece

"Kids have fantastic ideas," says "wired composer" Tod Machover, holding an instrument from the Beatles version of Rock Band, the computer-based musical toy invented by his students at MIT.

Tod Machover on Composing Music by Computer

The inventor and MIT professor talks about where music and technology will intersect over the course of the next 40 years

James Brown recorded three live performances at the Apollo Theater, in 1962, 1967 and 1971.

Legends of the Apollo

For more than 75 years, some of the world’s greatest entertainers have performed at the famous Harlem theater

The Beach Boys were arguably the most popular rock group in the country with five separate albums simultaneously on the charts in 1964.

The Rock Concert That Captured an Era

Featuring acts such as the Beach Boys, James Brown and the Rolling Stones, The T.A.M.I. Show defined popular music for a generation

Last December, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, a film based on a never-before-produced screenplay by Tennessee Williams opened in theaters.

A Forgotten Tennessee Williams Work Now a Motion Picture

Written in the 1950s, "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond" was forgotten until it was recently adapted into a major motion picture

The city, in all its brooding grandeur, takes center stage in stories featuring the master of deduction.

Sherlock Holmes' London

As the detective stalks movie theaters, our reporter tracks down the favorite haunts of Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous sleuth

Handel House was reopened in 2001. Shown here are musicians practicing on period instruments.

Handel Slept Here

The composer's early-Georgian town house reflects his life and times

George Frideric Handel (at age 64 in 1749) produced works, including Messiah that dazzled even the musical titans who would succeed him.

The Glorious History of Handel's Messiah

A musical rite of the holiday season, the Baroque-era oratorio still awes listeners more than 250 years after the composer's death

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