My new favorite toy!

The weekly Piano Puzzler from NPR's Performance Today (PT).

"Ever play "name that tune"? Composer Bruce Adolphe (left) has added a PT twist to the game. Every Wednesday, he re-writes a popular melody in the style of a classical composer and challenges a listener -- teamed with host Fred Child -- to identify both."

I used to listen to PT all the time when my station was WNIU/WNIJ from DeKalb. KQED doesn't carry PT (or if they do it's at some undogly hour) but the classical station from Sacramento State just might. Anyway, I guess they started doing these puzzles in 2002 (I stopped listening in 1999) and there are over 90 in the archive! I know how I'm going to survive work this week (gotta keep something interesting in the ears, or else the data entry stops on account of boredom and distraction).

It's like a game that was designed just for me! Only I haven't been listening to as much classical music lately, so I'm a little rusty around the edges (in fact, the way I stumbled across the Piano Puzzler is because I was on PT's website today because I was in the mood for "classical"). Nevertheless, I fully intend to submit my name and hope they call me some time so I can play. Some of them are pretty tough--I can more often get the composer than the tune, but at least he seems to like showtunes, which works to my advantage.
- posted by k @ 11:42 AM