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Why Did You Pick Up The Bassoon?

Flicker user SJrankin

The music critic and composer Cecil Gray once said: "The bassoon in the orchestra plays the same role as Gorgonzola among cheeses -- a figure for fun. Actually, the bassoon can be the most romantic and passionate of instruments, and Gorgonzola can be the finest of cheeses, but they must both be treated properly." Why would anyone pick up the bassoon? Seven musicians join host Frank Stasio to show off their bassoon playing skills. They are Rachael Elliott, Michael Burns, Cory Jones, Elise Seifert, Pratul Srinivasan, YunChu Huang, and Susan Cummings. The Bassoon Bandwill be performing April 21th at the Casbah in Durham.

Music

Shawn Wen

Shawn Wen joined the staff of The State of Things in March 2012 and served as associate producer until February 2014.

See stories by Shawn Wen

Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

See stories by Frank Stasio