Go Back To School With NPR Music

Plus, new music from Bruce Springsteen and a Tiny Desk "Oval Office" concert with Phoebe Bridgers.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group via Getty Images Back-to-school season looks a little different this year as schools adapt and parents assume expanded educational duties. We know it’s no small feat to balance it all, so this week, we’re sharing some resources to make the school year a little less stressful for everyone.  Looking for a musical education curriculum? Our archives have plenty of resources to help you introduce younger ears to every genre: Meet the eight women who shaped the sound of American music in the 20th century with our Turning the Tables deep dives, videos and playlists.  Learn the history of songs that have become galvanizing forces in American culture with our American Anthem radio series.  Explore the impact of the American South on hip-hop’s past and present with The South Got Something to Say, our canonical recenting of the region.  Trace the history of American gospel music and its impact on soul, jazz and R&B with Wade in the Water, the Peabody Award-winning program produced with the Smithsonian Institution.  Hear the stories of some of music’s most awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time in NPR’s 50 Great Voices radio profiles. Learn the legends of jazz with the Jazz Profiles radio documentary series.  And if you’ve already aced Intro to Music 101 – or if you just need some music to make it through this moment – we’ve got plenty of playlists to keep listeners young and old satisfied. A couple years ago, All Songs Considered asked listeners about the music that helped them get through school; the resulting playlist features everything from the Ramones to Jimmy Eat World to Ms. Lauryn Hill. And if you’re sharing the stereo with your kids, we’ve got a playlist of kid-friendly music that, in the words of senior editor Jacob Ganz, “won’t make you, a parent and adult human alive to the many and various pleasures of the musical world, crazy.”  Be true to your school,  Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music New Bruce Springsteen alert! On Thursday, Springsteen released “Letter to You,” the title track to an upcoming 12-song album with the E Street Band due out Oct. 23. On this week’s All Songs Considered New Music Friday show, hear the heady philosophizing of the low-key supergroup Lo Tom, genre-smashing sounds from Dominican musician-author Rita Indiana, the sleek and subtle jazz of ARTEMIS and uncompromising Americana from Waylon Payne. For a generation of cool kids, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack was the entry point to an entire musical world. The newly remastered Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 game is a reverent update featuring 37 new artists, some of whom were themselves shaped by the game. Bob Boilen’s picks on this week’s All Songs Considered new music mix show pack an emotional punch, from Asaf Avidan’s otherworldly meditation on grief, to Spacemoth’s demand that women be seen as more than objects, to reflections on fathers from both Joe Wong and Frances Cone Featuring Inspired by the Lifetime film The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel, Ashon Crawley goes deep on the artistry of Twinkie Clark, the brilliant singer, writer, arranger and Hammond B-3 organ player, finding a world organized by Black joy, Black pleasure and Black breath.  Ronald “Khalis” Bell, a co-founder, songwriter, saxophonist, vocalist and producer of the chart-topping group Kool & The Gang, died Wednesday morning at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was 68. Hal Willner, who died earlier this year from COVID-19, was known as “the man with the golden Rolodex.” His final project, AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan, is emblematic of his work: Artists and collaborators say he would suddenly appear and bring a sense of magic into their lives. Presented with the Museum of Pop Culture, our POP TALKS series features today’s noteworthy artists in conversation with scholars and critics. This week’s Pop Conference keynote featured a career-spanning conversation between Alanis Morissette and NPR Music’s Ann Powers. Tiny Desk NPR We’ve seen some creative locations for recent Tiny Desk (home) concerts, from Protoje’s hillside set to Buscabulla’s seaside backset session. For her presidential Tiny Desk (home) concert, (President?) Phoebe Bridgers went the route of Billie Eilish and used a green screen to beam in from the “Oval Office.”  Also this week: Bill Callahan shared so few words between songs during his (home) concert that we followed up to ask what’s on his mind these days. “Quiet reflection can be the clearest and most informative and soothing voice you'll ever hear,” he explained. Wise words from a superb storyteller.  One More Thing Discover Philly’s best of the bass with WRTI.   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. 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