Ether Game is a weekly music guessing game that airs Tuesday nights from 8-10 p.m. EST on public radio station WFIU. It features mainly classical music, but branches out to movie soundtracks, jazz, folk, and rock. The game targets the classical music buff, and just about anyone who likes music and guessing games.

The game can be played on several levels. On the basic level, all a listener has to do is guess the composer or title of a piece. For those with more in-depth knowledge of music who can immediately “name that tune,” a challenge question is posed — something that will make listeners rack their brains for the answer, or better still, wait in anticipation until the answer is given after the piece ends!

The game can be played on several levels. On the basic level, all a listener has to do is guess the composer or title of a piece. For those with more in-depth knowledge of music who can immediately “name that tune,” a challenge question is posed — something that will make listeners rack their brains for the answer, or better still, wait in anticipation until the answer is given after the piece ends!

The number of calls received during each two-hour show range from 150-440, and as many as 90 individuals have called in during a game. The show boasts a very diverse audience, with players of varying musicological expertise and knowledge from the Bloomington and other communities in South-Central Indiana.

Ether Game has also developed a few “celebrity” players— people like Marge Gravit, “The Splicer,” “The Aquapuncher,” and the illusive “Mr. Anonymous” (who was one of this century’s greatest instrumentalists) just to name a few. Many well-knows musicians from the IU Jacobs School of Music have played under a variety of pseudonyms.

Callers are encouraged to use their own names, but some choose to use creative pseudonyms. Marge Gravit even had a little fan club of her own — listeners who in awe of her Ether Game prowess, decided to honor her by calling in under the pseudonym of “The Marge Gravit Fan Club.” Many funny Ether Game stories and anecdotes abound. There are also many players from around the world who listen and play through WFIU’s streaming service.

Feel free to contact us for anecdotes, more specifics about the program, and to arrange interviews with some of the more well-known players.