Nebraska Stories
The String Machine and More
S13 • E2 Feb 17, 2022
The String Machine - Inside a garage in an industrial section of Lincoln are a series of nearly 60 acoustic guitars, basses and mandolins hanging from the ceiling, attached to Ethernet cables, a server and a keyboard. It is the brainchild of artist Charley Friedman, whose latest work explores the intersection of technology, emotion and music, culminating with a national tour and a premiere at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha. Mushroom Canoe - Katy Ayers didn't build her canoe, she grew it from mushrooms. Katy's interest in mycology (the scientific study of fungi) inspired her to research mushroom roots and how they could help the environment. It only took 14 days to grow her 8-foot boat and every time it's in the water, it grows more shrooms. Now Katy is expanding her research to save pollinators by creating bee hotels. Marooned in the South Pacific - In 1943 John Boosalis was a Navy airman stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. During a routine anti-submarine mission, his plane crash-landed into the ocean more than 1000 miles from Australia. He and two others aboard the plane spent the next month fighting for survival on a remote island. The life-changing experience left an indelible mark on Boosalis. Come A Runnin' Boys - Before 'Dear Old Nebraska U' and 'Hail Varsity' there was another song synonymous with Big Red. Written in 1909 by Robert Stevens "Song of the Cornhuskers. (Come a Runnin' Boys) surged in popularity when the Huskers played the 1941 Rose Bowl. Over the years the fight song faded into obscurity until recently when a popular remake by a local punk folk band, The Killigans, brought it back to life.
