A Century Ago, This Eerie-Sounding Instrument Ushered in Electronic Music
Now, the theremin—a strange little invention that translates hand gestures into pitch and volume—could make a comeback
The New ‘Little Women’ May Finally Do Justice to Its Most Controversial Character
Based on the trailer of the new adaptation of the beloved novel, Amy March seems poised to get the well-rounded portrait she deserves
These Photographs Capture Cuba’s Fading Cinema Culture
In a new book, photographer Carolina Sandretto focuses on a piece of the island’s heritage that is often overlooked
What You Need to Know About the Manson Family Murders
Behind the scenes of the brutal crimes lurking throughout Quentin Tarantino’s new film, ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’
There’s a Massive Jester Floating on Austria’s Lake Constance
Each year at the Bregenz Festival, a set designer creates an elaborate opera stage on the water
In Battles of Man Versus Machine, James Bond Always Wins
We love the suave character because he soothes our anxieties about the power of humans in an increasingly technological world
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
This Florida Music Festival Takes Place Completely Underwater
To draw attention to coral reef conservation, divers play ‘bass-oons’ and ‘trombonefish’ at the Underwater Music Festival in Key West
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
An Electrifying History of Air Guitar
How the world’s most popular invisible instrument became such a hit
The Walkman’s Invention 40 Years Ago Launched a Cultural Revolution
In 1979, the new device forever changed the way we listened to music
The Patents Behind Toy Story’s Beloved Characters
The Pixar series is full of classic toys, from the Slinky Dog to the Speak & Spell, that sprung from the minds of clever inventors
Dr. Ruth Changed the Way America Talked About Sex
A new documentary chronicles the revolution Ruth Westheimer brought to the air
!["My job as an artist is to inspire and heal," he says. "Around the election, my listeners were so distraught and I was distressed, too... so I felt compelled to create a piece of music ["Marigolds"] that would heal and educate."](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/3M2Fmyumsd5qAxJnFKIUnyJTks4=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/a5/4b/a54b735c-ef09-43d4-ad1d-eb1730b5ce08/kishi_bashi_-_omoiyari_-_2_credit_max_ritter.jpg)
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
Kishi Bashi on Turning Hard History Into Memorable Music
Plus, listen to an exclusive debut of ‘Marigolds’ off his new album, ‘Omoiyari’
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
How the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Changed American Music
The season finale of Sidedoor tells the story of an indigenous Hawaiian instrument with a familiar sound and unexpected influences
If Thanos Actually Wiped Out Half of All Life, How Would Earth Fare in the Aftermath?
The aftereffects of such a mass extinction don’t require a supervillain’s intelligence to understand
How Broadway Legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Made Headlines Long Before ‘Fosse/Verdon’
She was a megawatt performer, one of the best Broadway dancers of the last century, but it’s his influence that is remembered today
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
Why These Four Banjo-Playing Women Resurrected the Songs of the Enslaved
The new Folkways album “Songs of Our Native Daughters” draws spiritually from slave narratives and other pre-19th-century sources
Seventy-Five Years Ago, the Military’s Only All-Black Female Band Battled the War Department and Won
The women of the 404th Armed Service Forces band raised morale and funds for the military, but they had to fight discrimination to do so
The Original ‘Dumbo’ Story Would Have Had More Twists and Turns
Before soaring into theaters, Disney’s flying elephant was about to be published as a scrolling children’s book
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
A Smithsonian Year of Music
A special report pulling together our coverage of music within the Smithsonian collections and around the world
Don’t Miss These Award-Winning Films at the Mother Tongue Film Festival
Kicking off February 21—International Mother Language Day—more than 20 films featuring 62 languages
Page 9 of 39