Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Helping Your Community in LA, and 'The Song Machine'
Angelenos are not volunteering as much as they want to. That’s one of the findings in a new poll from USC. And we take a close look at the way today’s top pop music is made.
Angelenos aren’t volunteering as much as they’d like to according to a new poll from USC. One popular way for people to feel like they’re contributing to something worthwhile is by funding a Kickstarter campaign. Now, at the request of the White House, Kickstarter is asking people to help Syrian refugees. The money goes to the U.N. Refugee Agency, and so far nearly $1 million has been raised. Then, we talk to the new artistic director of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Finally, Swedish producer Max Martin has written songs for the biggest pop stars of the past twenty years, from Britney Spears to Taylor Swift, and he helped pioneer the songwriting approach that today’s top hitmakers use.
In this episode
4 storiesWhy Aren’t Angelenos Volunteering More?
Angelenos are not really helping the less fortunate in their own backyard. They’d like to! But they’re just too busy. That’s one of the findings in a new poll from USC.
Read the story6 minCan Kickstarter Help Syria?
A popular way for people to feel like they’re contributing to something worthwhile is by funding a Kickstarter campaign. But those campaigns are usually for other people’s pet projects. For the first time, Kickstarter is now raising money for a social cause. At the request of The White House, Kickstarter is asking people to help Syrian refugees.
Read the story9 minWallis Center's Artistic Director On LA Theater
There was a lot of excitement when Eli Broad’s new art museum opened downtown last month. It’s sold out until the middle of November. Now another Southern California arts institution is hoping to get some of that buzz. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts opened two years ago.
Read the story8 min'The Song Machine' Looks At The Making of Pop
Lennon and McCartney. The two Beatles need no introduction—they’ve written the most number-one hit songs of all time. In third place? A 44-year-old Swedish producer named Max Martin.
Read the story17 min