New Wisconsin Survey Shows Significant Disapproval Of President Trump, Media, NPR Composer’s Debut Album, The Secret Life Of Fat

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If there’s one thing most people know about dieting, it’s that less fat intake is a good thing. However, our guest says that’s not always the case. She’s with us to discuss the ways fat works in our body and when it can actually be healthy. The musician behind NPR’s most famous theme songs is with us to discuss his debut album. And we’ll get the results from the latest Wisconsin Survey.

Featured in this Show

  • New Wisconsin Survey Shows Significant Disapproval Of President Trump, Media

    The latest “Wisconsin Survey” out of St. Norbert College shows that Wisconsinites disapprove of the job President Trump is doing and are losing faith in institutions, such as the media. We’ll speak with Professor Wendy Scattergood about the results.

  • NPR's Most Beloved Composer Releases Debut Album

    After many years of composing some of NPR’s most iconic theme songs, BJ Leiderman has released his debut album, full of original songs. He joins us to talk about his music, his work at NPR, and much more.

  • Understanding Body Fat

    Fat is one of the most frequently maligned organs in our body. Sylvia Tara joins us to talk about body fat, what it does, and how we can lose it if we understand how it works.

  • Beloved NPR Composer BJ Leiderman Releases Debut Album

    The theme songs for “Morning Edition,” “Marketplace,” “Wait Wait …Don’t Tell Me!”, the “Stump the Chumps” tune on “Car Talk” and more were all written by the same guy — BJ Leiderman.

    Now, Leiderman is going beyond public radio jingles with his debut solo album “BJ,” which features all original songs drawing inspiration from some of Leiderman’s favorite musicians. And get this: there’s not a single jingle on it.

    For Leiderman, the radio jingles didn’t come first.

    “Most people don’t know it’s actually the other way around. I’ve always been the rock ‘n’ roll guy,” Leiderman told WPR. Leiderman has been playing in bands for years. This album, released earlier this month, is like a new chapter for Leiderman.

    “It’s a bit of maturing on my part, I think, a bit of stepping away from the connection in most people’s minds about BJ and NPR,” he said. “Because it’s so varied … There’s so many different kinds of songs on this album, because some of them were written more than two decades ago, and some of them were written as soon as a year or two ago.”

    Leiderman grew up loving the Beatles. He heard the “Meet the Beatles!” album and that was it, he knew he wanted to be a musician. You can hear the influence of the British band and other rock legends in “BJ.”

    “You’ll hear hints of Billy Joel in there, you’ll definitely hear John Lennon in there, (and) a song about my dog actually from (my dog) Maizey’s point of view, called ‘Maizey’s Song,’ is kind of Frank Zappa-like,” Leiderman said.

    Leiderman is used to singing. He’s been in bands all his life. Still, he said the fact that his singing voice is on display in “BJ” is a bit scary to him. But it’s also refreshing to be able to explore all his vocal interests, he said.

    Putting out the album was, “in one word: scary,” Leiderman said. “It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. You know, I’ve been talking about it for 30 years, and I’ve actually been at the recording of it for the past five years,” he said.

    It was the idea of millions of people knowing him for radio theme music, and then having to accept him as a rock artist that Leiderman said he found a bit intimidating.

    “Hopefully you’ll be able to see both sides of me come together as I tour the country and come to public radio stations,” he said.

    Editor’s Note: There is language in the video some may find offensive.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • J. Carlisle Larsen Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Wendy Scattergood Guest
  • BJ Leiderman Guest
  • Sylvia Tara Guest
  • Veronica Rueckert Interviewer
  • Rob Ferrett Interviewer

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