The blues and jazz are topics covered by Ralph Ellison. Ellison himself started to play the trumpet at the age of seven. Ellison said for him, when hearing classical music, he then had to go and find classical literature.

Ralph Ellison, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction for his book "Invisible Man," discusses his early life and education and his life as a writer and lifetime scholar. He speaks on being a musician (trumpet), the joy of music and the Church and how they fit into the lives of African Americans.

Music performance by Oscar Brown, Jr.

Studs Terkel interviews Tito Gobbi on his interpretation of Verdi. He also gets an interpretation of Gobbi's own music.

Presenting music and discussing the tuba with tubists Arnold Jacobs, Harvey Phillips, Fritz Kaenzig, and Richard Frazier. This mixdown includes recorded and live music in the last three minutes.

Studs Terkel continues to recount his trip to Africa.

Studs Terkel recounts a trip to Africa.

Polly Podewell and Johnnie McDonough evaluate jazz vocalists, musical influences, and compare music genres. Jazz music performances of Polly Podewell (from private tape) are interspersed throughout the interview as well as recordings from Mildred Bailey, Helen Ward, and Billie Holiday. Songs are removed on this file due to copyright reasons.

Placido Domingo discusses his career as a tenor singer and conductor, including his role in the film "Otello" directed by Franco Zeffirelli and based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi.

Andre Watts's mother believed learning to play music was as important as learning the alphabet and mathematics in school. Watts first studied the fiddle for six months before he went onto the piano. Watts believed playing the piano was a transitory art and that his interpretation of a composer's music was very important to convey to his audiences.

Peter Schickele, the man behind the pseudonymous musical persona P.D.Q. Bach, gives a lecture on the oft-forgotten composer and sibling of Johann Sebastian Bach, playing and discussing a number of works by the fictitious composer.

The conversation spans trends in American culture plans for public access television.

Pete Seeger discuss music and his plan to build a sloop to sail on the Hudson River.