Nov 19th, 2007 · Sing a tune and Montero will come up with an instantaneous four minutes of new music. This time on Sing It and Wing It, Montero improvises around a Balkan folk tune, sung to her by a listener in Brooklyn.
Aug 28th, 2007 · Pianist Gabriela Montero fields songs sung over the telephone and creates her own improvisations around them. This week, hard work on a sailing team inspired a listener to sing the song "The Weight" by The Band.
Jun 27th, 2007 · NPR station WFUV has a backstage view of one of the country's most impressive music festivals, held each year in rural Tennessee. Rita Houston, host of The Whole Wide World talks with special guests Gillian Welch, Manu Chao, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Elvis Perkins.
Apr 21st, 2007 · Disenchanted with their status as heavy metal rockers, the duo Rodrigo y Gabriela traded electric guitars for acoustic models then hit the road for Dublin. Their fusion of metal with their Mexican roots has become popular in Europe.
Dec 28th, 2006 · A Performance Today listener calls in with a song to sing, and pianist Gabriela Montero comes up with a piano improvisation to play. After Montero improvises, we hear a bit of Betty Carter singing "My Reverie," a song by Larry Clinton, based on Debussy.
Dec 8th, 2006 · Montero has had a terrific year as a classical pianist: making her debut with the New York Philharmonic, releasing two solo CDs, getting profiled on 60 Minutes. Montero returns for another edition of "Sing It and Wing It," in which she improvises around a song sung by a guest on the phone.
Oct 31st, 2006 · The music of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero attempts to reconcile their love of heavy metal music with their traditional style of Mexican guitar playing. Their self-titled debut combines Sanchez's intricate fingerpicking with Quintero's smooth melodic style -- and works wonderfully.
Oct 27th, 2006 · "Sing It and Wing It" is what pianist Gabriela Montero does at the end of most of her concerts. A member of the audience sings her a song and she improvises on it. She does one in the studio for us, as an example. If you'd like to try one, send Fred Child an email at pt@npr.org.