Dr. Kyle Adams helps trace the musical family trees of our mystery artists
When the idea for The Influencers was first pitched, everyone around the table agreed that Dr. Kyle Adams would HAVE to be one of the guests on the show. Not only is he a professor of music history at Indiana University, his musical interests span genres and generations.
Beginning as a student of Early Music, Dr. Adams later took an interest in Hip Hop, academically speaking. His eclectic tastes in music make him a great source for connecting the dots of pop music history.
In this "Show Your Work" episode, you'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the earliest research for the show. Dr. Adams sat down with host Lisa Robbin Young in early 2024, just as the show concept was beginning to take shape. In the early days, the plan was to share the trees with experts and get their take on what we got right and what we might have missed. While the concept evolved into something far more conversational, this early interview provides a LOT of insight into the first three musical artists featured in the show.
Credits
The Influencers is part of the educational mission of Indiana University and produced by the small but mighty team at WFIU/WTIU Public Media in Bloomington, Indiana. Our producer, editor, and host for this episode is Lisa Robbin Young. Executive Producers are Eric Bolstridge and Justin Crossley.
Special Thanks to Dr. Kyle Adams for his contributions to the show.
Theme Music: "Melting Pot" by 3Monkeys, courtesy of Universal Production Music.
Additional support from Sam Schemenauer.