MinneCulture

Saint Paul’s Walker West Music Academy is thought to be the oldest community music school in the nation founded by Black musicians. Opened in the 1980s during turbulent times in the Selby/Dale neighborhood, Walker prides itself on offering affordable, accessible and high-quality music instruction. What makes Walker West so special is their emphasis on a particular style of music-making called the “Saint Paul Sound,” a high-energy synthesis of jazz, gospel and improvisation. KFAI’s Alison Young s

Tristan Jurkovich grew up loving the outdoors, but he never thought he’d pass that love on to a new generation until he became a reluctant - at first - father figure to two young boys. This story was written and produced by Tristan Jurkovich. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Find more stories on our website: https://kfai.org/tag/minneculture/

Look around your car and try to count how many safety features there are: seat belt, a padded dashboard. And then there are the hidden ones: air bags, crumple zone, reflective stickers. Almost every part of a modern day car, from the volume knobs to the shape of the hood, is designed with safety in mind—but it wasn’t always that way. Though driving is still quite dangerous, it used to be worse, and back in the 1950s one University of Minnesota professor put his body on the line to make automobil

Ojibwe singer-songwriter Keith Secola, known for his song "NDN Cars," has been earning national attention in recent years for his contributions to film and television, including songs he wrote for the hit show "Dark Winds." But Secola remains deeply connected to the Iron Range, where he grew up. KFAI’s Sheila Regan caught up with Secola to learn about his songwriting process and his collaboration with Rich Matteson of Sparta Sound in Gilbert, Minnesota. This story was written and produced by Sh

Ojibwe singer-songwriter Keith Secola, known for his song "NDN Cars," has been earning national attention in recent years for his contributions to film and television, including songs he wrote for the hit show "Dark Winds." But Secola remains deeply connected to the Iron Range, where he grew up. KFAI’s Sheila Regan caught up with Secola to learn about his songwriting process and his collaboration with Rich Mattson of Sparta Sound in Gilbert, Minnesota. This story was written and produced by She

Sisters Camelot is a collectively run nonprofit with a focus on sustainable living through food justice and waste reduction. They’ve been providing free groceries at food share sites since 1997. KFAI’s Rmay Rivard caught up with the volunteers on one of the pick-up days. This story was written and produced by Rmay Rivard. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.