WORT at WOMEX Part 1

WORT Music Playlists

What was that song I heard? Who was the artist, what is the album title, where can I get it? Where can I find the entire playlist for a show?

Click on the Playlists button to bring up a calendar where you can choose any date to find the playlists for that day. If you can’t find the right playlist or the song you’re looking for, your best bet is to call the station the next time that program’s on and ask the host yourself. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you, but please have as much information as possible at hand when you contact us, such as: approximate day and time the music was played, what type or genre of music it was, who hosted the show and any other information you remember about the selection and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Contact Information

Music Director: Sybil Augustine – musicdirector@wortfm.org (for music submissions, charts and tracking, promotional exchanges for music events and following up on volunteer applications or other requests. Please include specifics in your subject line, such as “Hiphop Music Submission” etc, )

Digital Production Director: Aaron Scholz – aaron@wortfm.org (for record donations and sales, promos recording volunteers, etc.)

Music Calendars: Submit your events online here or send by email to calendar@wortfm.org

How do I get my music played on WORT?

We accept submissions in most genres and styles of music, focusing on noncommercial, out-of-the-mainstream, independent releases (check out our playlists and music charts for more information.) It may take up to a few weeks for us to review and process your submission so we appreciate your patience, and feel free to contact us to follow up. Please send your music, indicating any tracks with language that needs to be aired after 10 pm and including a one-sheet description and any biographical and tour information, to WORT Music Director, 118 S. Bedford St, Madison, WI 53703 and/or to musicdirector@wortfm.org.

We do accept digital files on .wav or mp3, but currently we still prefer CDs to digital submissions because it’s the quickest way to get it into the hands of our programmers and onto the airwaves, though we have a growing digital library. Digital submissions should be .wav or other lossless files, or high quality mp3s [128-320 kbps.]

You can follow up or “track” your submissions by email, or call 608-256-2001 on Wednesdays between 1-4 pm CST to ask if we received it, has it been reviewed, has it been added to our library, and what kind of airplay it’s getting—e.g. light, medium, heavy or charting. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

Our WOMEX experience really starts with arrival in Budapest. My wife, Paula White, and I arrived on Tuesday. We figure it might be our 12^th visit here. While WOMEX was the reason to come to Budapest this time, we are also eager to see friends and familiar sights, and, of course, have some great food. Those of you who know Paula, also know that she is a talented and avid photographer. She provides all the photos in this blog.

WOMEX officially started on Wednesday evening with an opening concert at the wonderful new Budapest Palace of Arts, right on the bank of the Danube. The concert started with a special treat not listed in the program: an opening set by Muzsikás with music from Transylvania. We hadn’t seen them perform since their last Madison show nearly 15 years ago. Muzsikás received an award for artists of special merit at WOMEX 2008. Next, in a tribute to the role of Gypsy music of central Europe, was an excursion with five bands representing the breadth of Gypsy music and its influence on other styles. We heard solo village singing and ensemble performance of ethnic Gypsy songs, Gypsy solo violin playing Hungarian folk music, ensemble music stretching folk music into world music and ethno-jazz, and finally, a Gypsy orchestra featuring fiery Hungarian dance music. Following the concert, we danced at a Hungarian táncház with our good friends, the Dűvő Ensemble. Dűvő has performed in Madison twice before including one show at the Orton Park Festival.

A backdrop screen during the opening concert featured the artistic work of painter István Szentandrássy. More of his work can be seen here: http://www.szentandrassy.hu/gallery.en_US.html