‘He made the best of life’: How a family turned a tragedy into hope with nonprofit Joey’s Song
Mike Gomoll is not a rock star, but he knows how to get them to rally around a cause. "You ...
The Rebirth of Jazz Saxophonist Frank Morgan
Imagine making it as a musician not only once, but at two distinct moments in your life. That’s what happened ...
Madison’s Ricardo Gonzalez and the Cuban Salsa Band
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) Ricardo Gonzalez was 12 years old the day the ...
Refugee in La Crosse dreams of returning to Cuba
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) A group of musicians are jamming in their living ...
Cuban in Wisconsin: Introducing ‘WPR Reports: Uprooted’
In 1980, there was a mass exodus of Cubans who left their homes for the United States as part of ...
Farmer Explains Why You Should Sing To Cows
I have previously confessed this crime. Specifically to note, I was born to Methodists. Methodists by moral instinct rarely do ...
Remembering when The Fendermen took Stoughton to the top of the charts
What are some of your early rock ‘n’ roll memories? For Stoughton’s Bill Amundson, there’s one that happened REALLY close ...
‘Fear the Deer’: Midwest rapper Romey uses Bucks championship as inspiration for hit song
Last year, when the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA title in 50 years, Jerome Hunt, a Madison/Milwaukee hip-hop artist ...
Madison musician connects with his heritage and father by archiving Ho-Chunk recordings
Clint Greendeer is a Madison-based musician and member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. A few years ago, his family member found ...
Kitchen Dance: A Parent’s Legacy
Have you ever been at a wedding and caught a glimpse of your parents slow dancing? Maybe you marveled…or maybe ...
Joni Mitchell Skates On Lake Mendota—And Into Music History
This story brings together a mid-winter ice storm, the southeast shore of Lake Mendota in Madison, ice skating, and a ...
Tomahawk Circle: An Ojibwe Family Band
For the members of Tomahawk Circle, playing in a rural family band is a labor of love. Founded in 2006, ...
Remembering Gene Purcell: My Brother’s Brief Stint As A Rock Star Manager
Gene Purcell dedicated almost his entire professional life to public media. His passion began in La Crosse, where he started ...
The Heist In Ripon Fosters A Creative Community
There’s a place in Ripon that’s providing a space for musicians and artists to get as creative as they want ...
Wauwatosa Native Joe Wong On Becoming A Master Of All Musical Trades
Joe Wong was a musical kid growing up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He learned to play a few instruments, but he ...