Long time listeners may remember Arwulf's radio program on WFMU from the late 80s. Now at WCBN-FM, the student-run freeform radio station at the University of Michigan, arwulf has been asking Ann Arbor to “Face the Music” for 30 years (WCBN is also the radio career launching point for WFMU General Manager Ken Freedman and DJ Rob Weisburg). Every Thursday since 1980, arwulf has led a study of American subcultures, Ann Arbor’s underground, traditional blues and jazz, and everything in between on his freeform program, ‘Face The Music’.
On Thursday, December 9, at 7pm, WCBN will celebrate this freeform legend with a live broadcast of ‘Face The Music’ from the University of Michigan Museum of Art. The performance will feature arwulf’s presentation of Beyond The War Model. Accompanied by improvisation and creatively coordinated sounds from the student-led Modified Starch Ensemble, arwulf will offer lessons learned and concepts cultivated during his more than thirty years’ involvement at WCBN.
Beyond The War Model will discuss why avant garde is an inadequate and inappropriate term for art and artists. The December 9th performance will draw from arwulf’s extensive knowledge and experience in a candid discussion of our culture and language.
Arwulf Arwulf—who says that, at age 13, “the name chose me and I accepted it” (Michigan Daily) —describes himself as an autodidact, meaning that he is fully self-taught. He is a poet, a composer, a cultural genius, an inventive dj constantly challenging the possibilities of the medium of radio, and a great supporter and purveyor of freeform radio. live on WCBN, December 9 @ 7pm. Tune in at www.wcbn.org (or 88.3FM in Ann Arbor!).
early '90 Arwulf use to have a duke ellington show that was just amazing and who can forget his freeform
Posted by: montreal | December 09, 2010 at 06:06 PM
love to hear what people thought of this... I really loved parts but am slightly wary of those who make points based upon origins of words.
Posted by: jeremy | December 10, 2010 at 03:28 AM
Thanks for the arwulf love, WFMU.
We had a great time last night in Ann Arbor...a packed room and an expressive and exciting arwulf and modified starch ensemble.
Although arwulf's prepared text did tackle the origin of the term 'avant garde', I thought it was much more concerned with the cultural and societal connotations of 'avant garde' as a label.
Posted by: Bennett | December 10, 2010 at 09:27 AM
oh, man. I didn't see this until now. why was this not publicized more in and around ann arbor? sad.
Posted by: D.P. O'Connell | December 13, 2010 at 06:46 PM
o-my-gawd. this is like me in high school- i played me violin with dr.arwulf and what i think was the first version of the modified starch ensemble (or blue sun quintet, we were all girls who played string instruments and were into improvisation)- we played for some of his lecture-performance-rabble-rousings at the old (REAL and way the hell cooler) performance network, and of course on WCBN and at the Blind Pig, and at Alvins in Detroit. . . . . . it was my first improv band, wwwhhheeeewww,and i never ever did effin stoppit, either, HAH! damn how lucky was i to live in ann arbor before it became gentrified as hell? this rules, they remind me muchly of 1992-93 and the shows i grew up listenin to and re-wiring my brain with in the 80s- i am soooo so glad SOME people are still doing Good Shit in calcified with plasticine corporate silliness old ann arbor, wow man, YEAH! love and rockets- katt hernandez
Posted by: katt hernandez | January 30, 2011 at 02:31 PM