Stratton Rawson
Music Director and BTPM Classical Afternoon HostStratton Rawson grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York State midway between the Hudson River and the Appalachian Trail in the shadow of some the oldest mountains on earth.
Stratton took up the cello at an early age in an attempt to drive his brothers crazy. He very nearly succeeded. As an adult Stratton’s bright passions forever paled after four years at SUNY Albany, a year of work for the Chancellor of SUNY, two years at the University of Wyoming and another four years--this time at SUNY Buffalo--in the shades of academe. The next decade and a half he spent making feature films on a home video budget. Amazingly, some of the films have made it to home video and are available at your local video outlet. And for the last decade or so, Stratton has been at BTPM Classical, where he can indulge his lifelong interest in great music and good talk.
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Richie introduces Stratton to jangle pop through three songs by the Scottish Band, Teenage Fanclub. To his own surprise, Stratton becomes a fast fan which prompts conversation about melody, craftsmanship, and the joy of the unexpected. -
Richie pushes Stratton far outside his comfort zone with "Fix Your Face" by the Dillinger Escape Plan, using it as an entry point into the genre of hardcore. The result is a surprising discussion about musical intensity, expression, and whether Beethoven might be classical music's original hardcore composer.
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What makes a piece of music feel like hope? Stratton and Richie explore works that shine as a "light in a time of darkness," drawing from music by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Haydn, Handel, and Brahms.
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Richie claims that "Might Be Right" by White Reaper is a good example of what Mozart would be writing today if he were still alive and composing — and Stratton demands proof. Their debate leads to the exploration of the power pop genre and how great music transcends time and genre.
