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While ostensibly aimed at children at home during the pandemic, everyone can learn a little something about landmark musicians like Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley and others in 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s new daily School of Rock, which airs weekdays at 9 a.m.
The hour-long show is a collaboration between on-air personality Dori Zori, who presents the show, and veteran music teacher Britney Freeman-Farr, aka B-Free, who is now an 88Nine staffer.
The daily show includes information about the life and work of the spotlighted artist, as well as plenty of music, which means this is about the most enjoyable education you’ll likely ever get.
If you want to see what I mean, check out the first episode, which aired Monday and featured Prince. You can hear it at this link, where all the shows will be archived, with additional content, including videos and other content.
Tuesday’s episode featured Kenny Rogers, who passed away just a few days ago.
"With so many schools closed, we thought this would be a great way to help parents – and teach students about an important part of our culture," said Radio Milwaukee Program Director Jordan Lee.
"And parents, you can listen, too!"
If you can’t listen over the air, 88Nine can be streamed at radiomilwaukee.org, through its mobile app, or by asking a smart speaker to play 88Nine Radio Milwaukee.
Radio Milwaukee is creating more specialty programming during the pandemic – including shows for adults, as well as an hour-long Kids Disco every Saturday at 9 a.m. – and you can find it all here.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
