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Echos of Techno: Electronic Music in Ann Arbor
"Echos of Techno: Electronic Music in Ann Arbor is an intimate exploration of the city's innovative electronic music scene in the early 2000s, directed by artist and filmmaker Martin Thoburn. As a former Ghostly International insider and multimedia creator, Thoburn traces how Ann Arbor emerged as a vital hub for experimental electronic music, bridging Detroit's techno roots with the digital dawn of online music cultures. Centered around the story of Ghostly International—a record label that grew from a UofM college dorm room to global recognition—the film weaves together candid interviews with pioneering artists like Matthew Dear and Tadd Mullinix with rare archival footage to capture a transformative period when the city's avant-garde sound helped reshape electronic music's landscape." - Filmmaker Martin Thoburn
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AADL Talks To: Dick Siegel, Singer-Songwriter and Musician
Dick Siegel is an Ann Arbor singer-songwriter and musician who has written and performed regionally and nationally for over 40 years. In this episode, Dick talks with us about his musical influences and how a cross-country road trip and open mic nights at the Ark inspired him to start writing his own songs. Dick also sings some of his favorite lyrics for us and discusses how they were inspired by friends, family, neighbors, or -- as in the song “Angelo’s” -- a beloved local restaurant.
Check out Dick’s records at AADL. You can also watch his 2006 discussion on The Fine Art of Songwriting.
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AADL Talks To: Hiawatha Bailey, Founder of the Punk Band Cult Heroes, Former Community Activist, and Member of the White Panther Party
Hiawatha Bailey lived in one of the legendary Hill Street houses at 1510 and 1520 Hill Street where he was a member of the Trans-Love Commune, the White Panther Party, and later the Rainbow People’s Party. In this episode, Hiawatha traces his political awakening and community activism in Ann Arbor’s countercultural heyday during the late 1960s and shares stories of living and working in the commune, including the day he hung up on Yoko Ono and got a follow-up call from John Lennon. He also takes us through his musical journey as a roadie for the local rock band The Up and Detroit's Destroy All Monsters to founding his own punk band, Cult Heroes.
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AADL Talks To: Martin Bandyke, Host of Fine Tuning and Former Morning Drive Host at Ann Arbor's 107one
Martin Bandyke studied radio and broadcasting at the University of Michigan, started broadcasting at WDET-FM in Detroit, and eventually capped his long career in Ann Arbor as the morning drive host for 107one. In this interview, Martin takes a personal look back at his career, recalling many of the local community and business partners who helped and supported him along the way and sharing memories of interviews and encounters with musicians in the studio. He also reflects on programming at 107one and changes in the radio industry.
Check out Martin Bandyke Under Covers, Martin's long-running AADL podcast.
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Melodioso: Live at the Golden Falcon, December 1975
This is a live recording of the musical group Melodioso playing at The Golden Falcon Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in December 1975. Melodioso was a Latin-jazz combination started in the early 1970s by guitarists Howard White and Cory Sea, instructors at Herb David Guitar Studio. The original lineup also included guitarist-vibist Andy Sacks and percussionists Armando Shobey and Norman Bellis. Other players on this recording include Max Woods, Larry Manderville, and Reggie Smythe.
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AADL Talks To: Andrea Fulton, 1970s Rock Concert Promoter, Photographer, and Psychedelic Ranger
Andrea (aka Andye) Fulton-Higgins, is the daughter of Douglas James Fulton, outdoor editor for the Ann Arbor News from 1955 to 1987, and Anna Louise Summers Fulton, an Ann Arbor Public School teacher for 40 years. Andrea shares her memories of coming of age in Ann Arbor during the heady days of counter-cultural Ann Arbor in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She talks about her involvement in the Ann Arbor music scene and discusses the influence of her parents, in particular, her father's work and legacy as a photographer, music lover, editor, conservationist, and friend. Hundreds of Andrea's photographs are also available in the Andrea Fulton Concert Collection.
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AADL Talks To: Dianne Baker, Songwriter and Co-Author of "This Is The Town That Was," an Original Musical Written for Ann Arbor's Sesquicentennial in 1974
In this episode, AADL Talks To Dianne Baker. Dianne is a prolific songwriter who began writing children’s songs in the 1960s after coming to the University of Michigan to attend nursing school. She has collaborated with teachers, educators, and health professionals and has been recognized nationally for her commitment to the therapeutic effects of music. Baker has performed at Hill Auditorium, the Power Center, the Art Fair, the Ark, and in countless public school classrooms, both solo and in tandem with other notable musicians such as Percy “Mr. Bones” Danforth. She is known for her songs about Michigan history and, in particular, for “This Is The Town That Was,” an original musical written with collaborator Carol Duffy Sheldon for Ann Arbor’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1974. Check out some of Dianne's sheet music and lyrics in the Dianne Baker Collection.
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"This Is The Town That Was," A Musical History of Ann Arbor: A Recording of the December 16, 1974 Performance
On December 16, 1974, Ann Arbor concluded its year-long sesquicentennial celebration with a performance of "This Is The Town That Was" at Hill Auditorium, presented here online for the first time. This historical musical, written by Ann Arbor teachers Dianne Baker and Carol Duffy, was performed by Ann Arbor Public Schools students from Abbot, Angell, Newport, and Pittsfield Elementary Schools and Forsythe Junior High School. Produced by Carol Duffy, Joan May, Sue Laughlin, and Lillian Holtfreter, the play was narrated by Judge Sandy Elden and attorney William Richardson playing founders John Allen and Elisha Walker Rumsey.
As Ann Arbor School Board trustee Pat Pooley wrote in an Ann Arbor News editorial that day: "This musical history of our city has been made possible by a modest grant from the Ann Arbor Schools, the opening of Hill Auditorium without charge by the University of Michigan, and the unstinting efforts of teachers, parents, townspeople, and especially, the stars of the show, the children, to conclude Ann Arbor's sesquicentennial year in the spirit of active community involvement in which we all take pride."
This production features several songs written by Dianne Baker. Sheet music is available for The Naming of the Streets and Ann's Arbor We Will Sing You A Song.
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AADL Talks To: Laurie Blakeney, Founder, Ann Arbor School of Yoga
In this episode AADL Talks To Laurie Blakeney, founder of the Ann Arbor School of Yoga. Laurie came to Ann Arbor in 1971 to study at the University of Michigan. Intent on running her own business, she tuned pianos for 25 years. During that period she also studied and taught the Iyengar method of yoga. She had the good fortune to study with B.K.S. Iyengar and has taught the Iyengar method to thousands of students.
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AADL Talks To: Marcel Shobey and Ruth Natalie Kellogg about the Legacy of Musicians Armando and Norman Shobey, aka the Shobey Brothers
In this episode, AADL Talks To Marcel Shobey, joined by his mother, Ruth Natalie Kellogg. Marcel shares memories of growing up on Ashley Street on the Old West Side and he and his mother discuss some of the changes they've seen in Ann Arbor over the years. They also take a deep dive into the music career of the Shobey Brothers -- Marcel's father, Armando Shobey, and uncle, Norman Shobey. The Shobeys were hand percussionists discovered in the Bronx as children. They toured with Bobby Orton's Teen Aces and then went on to play in a variety of music ensembles of some renown both nationally and in several European countries for many years before settling in Ann Arbor at the invitation of musician Rick Burgess. Here they formed -- or joined -- a variety of music ensembles that played throughout the Midwest region. Their story is further documented in photos and flyers in the Marcel Shobey Collection.
