Terrance McKnight

For many of us November is the beginning of a long, festive and reflective holiday season. As for me..

This week, Q2 with Terrance McKnight will feature pieces of music written by composers when they were 30 years old.

Celebrating or even acknowledging All Saints and All Souls Day has never been on my to-do list. That's primarily because I wasn't fully aware of these long-standing holidays until I began preparing this show.

Since the first panpipes, musicians have attempted to imitate the human voice in non-vocal music. 

Whenever I travel outside of the U.S., I'm always struck by the presence of American music, particularly our popular music.  You hear it in hotels, clubs, on cruise ships, etc. People around the world respond viscerally to our music even if they're not English speakers. So on this week's Q2, we'll delve into the roots of American music and take a closer look at the movers and shakers that created its innovative sounds.

Long before I took my first piano lesson, I was drawn to music.  Aside from the sound, I was moved by the effect I saw it having on those around me, especially in church.  I was amazed at the gamut of emotions music evoked there, and this curiosity has led to a life-long relationship with music.  To this day, I'm just as thrilled and appreciative when I hear incredible, inspiring music, whether it was written centuries ago or earlier this morning.

In this excerpt from Things Fall Apart, readers get a glimpse of Igbo life in Nigeria before the Europeans arrive to establish colonial institutions. Read by WNYC's evening host Terrance McKnight.

New York, NY —

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots - an uprising that gave new visibility to gay and lesbian people. WNYC's Evening Music host Terrance McKnight looks at how gay musicians are affected by the movement for gay liberation.

Terrance's album picks include:
"Noel Pianissimo," Duo Campion-Vachon (Analekta)
"A Robert Shaw Christmas: Angels on High," Robert Shaw Chamber Singers (Telarc)
"40 Most Beautiful Christmas Classics" ...