Musical Instruments

The Why Factor

• Episode: Musical Instruments
• Website: The Why Factor
• Feed URL: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p00xtky9.rss
• Duration: 00:22:58
• Published: 2018-12-24 10:30

Why do some instruments get all the tunes and the respect, while others are left at the bottom of the heap? The leader of the orchestra is always a violinist, and the guitarist usually gets to leap around at the front of the band. Meanwhile other instruments, like the drums, don’t get a lot of attention - except when it comes to being the butt of jokes.

Matt Allwright is on a mission to uncover the source of this terrible injustice, and find out whether his own beloved “low status” instrument – the pedal steel guitar – can ever find the spotlight.

Guests include:

• Stewart Copeland – The Police (drums) • Dr Daria Kwiatkowska – composer, University of Birmingham (piano) • Margaret Birley – Keeper of Musical Instruments, Horniman Museum • Superorganism (assorted) • Richard Farnes – conductor • Stephen Bryant – leader, BBC Symphony Orchestra (violin) • Tony Bedewi – BBC Symphony Orchestra (timpani) • Tomoka Mukai – BBC Symphony Orchestra (flute) • Steve Magee – BBC Symphony Orchestra (contrabassoon)