WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio

Capitol Jazz Project

On May 7th, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will perform with his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in DC. The show will take place at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and will provide an opportunity for an announcement - the official unveiling of the Capitol Jazz Project.

The idea is to get more music instruction in DC schools - and to bring a new jazz curriculum into the mix. It's a partnership between the Washington Performing Arts Society, the DC Public Schools and Jazz at Lincoln Center. And the project boasts a curriculum written by Wynton Marsalis. We speak with Carol Bogash, Director of Education with the Washington Performing Arts Society and Ben Hall, Director of Music for the DC Public School System.

Danger on the Roads

Crossing our busiest streets, whether in the city or the suburbs, can sometimes involve taking your life in your own hands - or putting it in the hands of drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 2300 pedestrians are injured every year in the Washington region, and eighty-four are killed. Several local transit and transportation agencies got together this week to address some of the dangers on area roads. Stephanie Kaye speaks with Dave Robertson with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, who was there for the Tuesday meeting.

Historian of the Homeless

From dangers on the roads to living on the streets. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, thousands of homeless people are living in shelters, abandoned buildings or in their cars in the DC area. A Virginia historian, who has spent years interviewing those who live hand-to-mouth, says the homeless are less visible today but are very much still with us. Nancy King, with the radio program "With Good Reason," has more.

Fred Fiske: Elections '08

Senior Commentator Fred Fiske says we're in the middle of the most interesting presidential election of his lifetime.

Working DC: Belly Up to the Bar

So many of us continually worry and stress-out about our jobs that it's refreshing to hear from someone who does NOT. In part four of our Working DC series, we head to Ward 1 to meet a man who can laugh about the details of the daily grind. John Marlow is General Manager and Bartender at Toledo Lounge in Adams Morgan. And he makes a convincing argument for bartending as a path to inner peace and career enlightenment.

Our Working DC series is produced by Frank Hamilton and funded by the Humanities Council of Washington, DC whose views are not necessarily represented by the series.

Food with Tim Carman: Sweet Things

Gaithersburg resident Carolyn Gurtz, recently won the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. And it's nice to win ANY contest - but this one comes with a million dollar cash prize. Taking this local victory as inspiration, food critic Tim Carman brings as a list of some of the best places to find cookies, donuts and muffins in the DC area. Tim Carman writes about food for the Washington City Paper.

Jim Helein: The Answer Man is Back

The Democrats are locked in a tight primary race. Gas prices are skyrocketing. There's the housing industry collapse, and a global food crisis - needless to say, the big-name pundits are very busy these days. That's why we're stuck with Commentator Jim Helein. He's back in his role as the WAMU Answer Man.

Commentator Jim Helein lives in Northern Virginia where he spends considerable portions of his days listening to Hannah Montana music.