Mark Katz

Gov. Chris Christie has battled recent bad publicity and sinking poll numbers. While he's been essentially campaigning for months, Christie is expected to officially join the crowded field on Tuesday.

We debate the pros and cons of being an “earbud person” (gym rats and rugrats) and a “headphone person” (DJs and wannabe DJs). Mark Katz, author of "Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music," explains the evolution of ear wear. And music writer Christopher Weingarten and Maura Johnston, writer for Popdust, defend their preferred mode of listening in a Soundcheck Smackdown.

Earlier this month, New York Times writer Virginia Heffernan caught the ear of the music world with a column about headphones. She’ll tell us how prolonged headphone use, especially among young people, may be wreaking havoc on our hearing – and we’ll take your calls. Later, we'll hear about the impact of headphones on music and culture from Mark Katz, author of Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music.

Vibrato, a minute fluctuation of pitch intended to make a musical sound more intense, has shaped – some may say tainted – many genres, from vocal jazz to gospel, Broadway and opera. In light of a current controversial "ban" on vibrato at the BBC Proms, we look at the technique ...

Vibrato, a minute fluctuation of pitch intended to make a musical sound more intense, has shaped – some may say tainted – many genres, from vocal jazz to gospel, Broadway and opera. In light of a current controversial "ban" on vibrato at the BBC Proms, we look at the technique ...