EP19: The Banjo’s Trip Through History

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Spotify, playlists, and music on demand, there was the jukebox. Drop in a nickel, pick a song, and a machine glowing with lights and color could provide the soundtrack for a bar, restaurant, or teenage hangout. Along the way, jukebo ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevlar is now a staple of body armor, trusted by law enforcement, military personnel, and first responders, but when Stephanie Kwolek first developed the fiber in a DuPont lab, it was almost thrown away. The material didn’t behave like oth ...  Show more

Where do museums come from? Explore their history in this episode... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Today’s episode has a lot of pluck! It’s all about the banjo. For over 100 years, the banjo has been associated with country and bluegrass music, two genres that over-index with white musicians. But, with the help of Rhiannon Giddens, we find out that this uniquely American instr ...  Show more

Josh and Chuck dive into history today to tell the story of the Buffalo Soldiers. 

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How an invention from the Hawai'ian islands changed the world. Featuring Hawai'ian musician and educator Alan Akaka and historian John Troutman, curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt ...  Show more