WMUA’s Liz Flood speaks with a Smith Professor whose art is on exhibition, Amherst had its annual maple lighting, the first Amherst Town Council is sword into office, protests erupt in Paris, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson is accused of sexual misconduct.
Maggie Kraine is a UMass student and musician whose debut album, The Reward (of) Missing, is on Spotify now. Last semester, WMUA News spoke with her about being a student musician and learned about some of her favorite songs.
Check Maggie’s music out here:
open.spotify.com/artist/1soRW3ZC9m4Uj2jhKOFAwN#_=_
It was a stunning Boston Marathon this past Monday. Not only did Americans dominate across the board, with American women claiming 7 of the top 10 spots, and American men taking 6 of the top 10; it also happened to be the five-year anniversary of the Boston bombing. Early in the day there was a moment of silence for the three victims who lost their lives in the bombings and for the one officer who was killed pursuing one of the bombers.
Yuki Kawauchi of Japan is the new Champion for the men’s event with a time of 2:15:58; Kawauchi became the first Japanese male to win the event since 1987. Desiree Linden was the first American women to win the event since 1985 with a time of 2:33:41.
Photos Courtesy of Joshua Brown
Article by Jesse Kolodkin
Hey, Becky the news editor here to tell you a little story about the yodeling Walmart kid, my dad, and the one thing they have in common: a love for 1940’s musical sensation Hank Williams.
It’s weird that my German-Brazilian immigrant father and a little Midwestern boy born in the late 2000’s are the two most pronounced fans of Hank Williams currently in my life and I’m gonna tell you why.
Thriving in the Golden Era of American Radio, and monopolizing jukeboxes across the South and West in the final days before the domination of rock ‘n roll, Williams was a heavy drinking, heavy yodeling, quintessentially American talent — as unreliable as he was undeniable. Considered one of the fathers of American singer-songwriters, Williams and his contemporaries were the first class of American musicians who could get famous writing and singing their own songs. There would be no Bob Dylan, no Elvis Presley, no Paul Simon without Hank Williams.
Now, the Walmart kid. 10-year-old Golconda, Illinois native, Mason Ramsey, became a viral hit after a video of him singing “Lovesick Blues,” a 1920’s show tune made famous by Hank Williams, was shared all over social media earlier this week. Importantly and inexplicably, the video takes place inside a Walmart.
In a different video (not inside a Walmart), Ramsey declares that his dream is to one day perform at the Grand Ole Opry (where Williams was a star) before launching into another Williams classic, “Hey Good Lookin'”. His accent screams, “I live very close to Kentucky,” and his vocals evoke memories of down home days gone by. In an online era dominated by terribleness, malicious terribleness, and horrifying terribleness, Ramsey is easy to love. Equal parts cute, remarkable, and hypnotizing, he’s the perfect viral meme child star. Like Gavin from Vine.
Now, my father. When I first heart Ramsey singing “Lovesick Blues” in the Walmart I didn’t recognize it as Hank Williams at first. It was the other video, “Hey Good Lookin’,” that instantly brought me back to memories of my dad: in the kitchen, in the family room, in the car – for the two decades that have been my life – singing that song.
Hey, good lookin’
Whatcha got cookin’?
How’s about cookin’ something up with me?
That tune, and other Williams classics, are beloved in my heart and mind in the way that only the music your parent’s played in the car around the age you were gaining consciousness really can be. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate Williams as a good songwriter and not just a weird fixture of my childhood, but if you can imagine being five and listening to “My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It,” (Yeah, my bucket’s got a hole in it/ Yeah, my bucket’s got a hole in it/ Yeah, my bucket’s got a hole in it/ I can’t buy no beer) you can understand that it took me a while to come around.
But come around I did, and now Williams is a favorite for my “I’m feeling homesick” or “I want to drive…West” listening. It’s still hard for me to explain though, to my fellow New England young people, why I like something that sounds so old and unrelatable. So, I enlisted my dad for some help.
Originally aired on WMUA Amherst April 4, 2018, here’s my dad, Rolf Wandel, telling us why he loves Hank Williams and why you should, too.
John Simpson is a professor at the Commonwealth Honors College and the creator and designer of Springfield’s “The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum.”
Simpson, an artist living in Springfield, is well-acquainted with city personalities — from decision makers to fellow artists — trying to revitalize the city.
WMUA News’ Becky Wandel spoke with Simpson about “The Springfield Renaissance” and the thousands of jobs coming as the MGM Grand moves in.
Originally aired on WMUA Amherst on April 4, 2018, here’s some of their conversation.
It’s Master’s weekend at Augusta! It’s safe to say golf watching isn’t big among
college students, but my family loves it and I’ve been having trouble explaining why. So, I called my mom for help.
My mom, Jane Wandel, grew up with her entire mother’s side of the family living in Augusta, Georgia, which, next to Scotland (the birthplace of the sport itself), is considered the golf capital of the world.
Originally aired on WMUA Amherst on April 6, 2018, here’s my mom telling us a little bit about the magic of Augusta, from the perspective of someone who’s lived it.
Following their swearing in ceremony this past Monday, SGA President and Vice President Nathalie Amazan and Timmy Sullivan sat down with WMUA News’ Becky Wandel and Phillip Bishop to discuss their cabinet appointees, their plans for UMass in the coming year, and how they represent a different sort of leadership than what the SGA has become accustom to.
If you want to get in contact with Nat and Timmy, you can contact them at:
sgapresident@umass.edu
and
sgavicepresident@umass.edu
