Rewiring the brain

Susan Barry *81 explains the science that allowed her to see in 3-D

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

Susan (Feinstein) Barry *81 never understood why other children loved that classic American toy, the View-Master. Not until a college neurobiology lesson on the development of the visual system did she realize that she lacked something most people take for...Read more

Keeping big-band sounds alive

David Miller ’50 celebrates 25 years on the air

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

Since he was an 8-year-old listening to the big-band nightly radio program “Make-Believe Ballroom” out of New York City, David Miller ’50 has been drawn to the big-band sound of the swing era, featuring vocalists such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald and...Read more

Filming a family’s legacy

Katrina Browne ’89 uncovers her ties to the slave trade

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

When Katrina Browne ’89’s grandmother gave her a short family history she had written in 1996, Browne faced an ugly truth: The DeWolfs of Bristol, R.I., had been the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. That discovery led Browne to make the...Read more

Ménage à Twang

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

This debut album by the all-girl camp country trio — Emily Moore ’99, Jessica Del Vecchio ’99, and Rachel Levy — features three-part harmonies and acoustic guitars. The Brooklyn-based indie band, Ménage à Twang, sings about the challenges women face...Read more

Blessings — Anthony Branker & Ascent

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

(Origin Records). Composer ANTHONY BRANKER ’80 leads the jazz collective Ascent on the group’s second album. The music brings together the sensibilities of Brazilian, Cuban, and African musical traditions along with a variety of jazz influences and the sounds...Read more

Sleeping Beauty Wakes

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

(PS Classics) The album for the concert-musical-theater project created by GrooveLily’s VALERIE VIGODA ’87 (vocals and electric violin), Brendan Milburn (vocals and keyboard), and GENE LEWIN ’84 (drums and vocals) features the trio playing various roles in...Read more

Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band

Published in the May 13, 2009, issue

(Grigri) CHERYL TERWILLIGER ’92   plays trumpet in the D.C.-based Chopteeth, a 14-piece Afrofunk orchestra that explores the “common groove” between West African and American popular music. The sound is Afrobeat: a big-band funk invented by Fela Kuti in...Read more