About the Series
"...the best program on public radio, bar none!..."
--Bill Moyers
What is Sound & Spirit?
Sound & Spirit is a weekly series of hour-long radio programs exploring the human spirit through music and ideas. Ellen Kushner hosts the show. It is produced by WGBH Radio Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.
Sound & Spirit weaves history, myth, and spiritual traditions together with music to take listeners on a journey around the world and through the ages. With subjects ranging from pilgrimage to family relationships, Shakers to Buddhists, and births to funerals, there is always something new to explore. "As long as there are human topics, there will be topics for our shows," says Ellen Kushner. "People from every culture and every generation have always marked their life experiences with rituals, stories and music."
"Sound & Spirit seeks out the commonality of the human spirit amidst the rich diversity of human experience," notes Kushner. Every week, listeners connect with people from distant cultures and across generations to explore humankind's varied approaches to life's most compelling issues.
What's the history of the show?
The program debuted in April 1996, and today reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners nationwide and in parts of southern Canada on over 110 public radio stations.
Who creates Sound & Spirit?
A number of people work together to make the broadcast happen. Our backgrounds range from theological school to anthropology, to school bus driving and international news!
Sound & Spirit's host and chief writer is Ellen Kushner, and she welcomes you to this site.
She is supported by the irrepressible Sound & Spirit staff.
We've put together an FAQ about what goes into making Sound & Spirit.
Learn more about WGBH and Public Radio International, Sound & Spirit's production partners.
Finding your way around the Sound & Spirit site:
Programs: A list of our programs past and upcoming, along with playlists, bibliographies, transcript information and an alphabetical list of all Sound & Spirit programs.
Listen Online: Listen to recent Sound & Spirit broadcasts online. You'll need RealPlayer to access the files.
Stations and Times: When and where Sound & Spirit can be heard on public radio stations around the country and on the web. Here you can also find information about how to hear Sound & Spirit internationally.
Feedback: Read rants and raves about the show, and submit your own comments and/or queries for our response.
Above & Beyond: Everything else you've always wanted to know about the show, including:
Ellen Kushner's appearances around the countryAwards: Critical response to Sound & Spirit has been almost as gratifying as listener response. Check out the awards our program has won and see what the critics think.
Other Sound & Spirit projects
Sound & Spirit FAQ
Transcripts of guest interviews
Staff
Sound & Spirit recipes
Sound & Spirit contests
Ellen gets interviewed
Who supports Sound & Spirit?
Your contributions to public radio help support our broadcasts. Additional support for this program comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Public Radio International Program Fund, and the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds - supporting education, the arts, and culture to enrich community life.
If you or your company would like to support Sound & Spirit, please write to:
Sound & Spirit
c/o WGBH Radio
125 Western Avenue
Boston, MA 02134
HOME | About the Series | Programs | Stations and Times
Feedback | Above and Beyond | Sound & Spirit Albums | Listen Online
Sound & Spirit | WGBH Boston | Public Radio International