For the Record: An Incomplete History of Music Season 1, Episode 6: Way Down

Somewhere in the Silence

We begin our incomplete history of music at the very beginning of everything, The Big Bang, where conditions come into being so that sound can exist in the first place. We explore the difference between music and sound and debate whether music is uniquely human or do birds and whales just sing for fun.

63 min

Numbers Fall

We explore the mathematics that underpins musical structure, how humans came to discover it and how it differs from culture to culture. We take a piano lesson and then try to make sense of why we humans like music so much in the first place.

69 min

Buried Treasure

We head to deep caves in Germany to discover the oldest known musical instrument and explore the music of ancient civilisations from Babylon to Greece to Egypt. We look at how music has been taught across cultures and generations and answer that age old question, did neanderthals hum?

60 min

Build This Love

Using pianos and guitars as a case study we explore the evolution of musical instruments from ancient times to modern electronic devices. We then start to explore how we send music out in the world via the invention of sheet music and eventually recording and distribution systems like records and radios. Finally we make our own gramophone with a pin and a cone.

70 min

Yesterdays

We examine the role of religion in music and the rise of two of the major influences of western music, opera and classical music. We look at how classical music differs from region to region, from Europe to China to Africa and how it’s changed over time. We explore how deaf people enjoy music and it’s influence on film music and Bugs Bunny is also up for discussion…

Standing on the Outside

Sing to Me

Tomorrow