I've had an interesting offer for tomorrow. The chance to tape a phone interview with Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. I doubt I'll have a problem with Oscar. He and I have such similar personalities, I'm sure we'll find a lot to talk about. With Big Bird I'm not so sure. My cynical self worried about how to approach him. In my fifties with a doctorate in music and 20 years yakking up Sibelius and Shostakovitch on the radio and now I get to interview a seven-foot-tall chicken. Jeez. But then I found this clip of Big Bird singing "It ain't easy bein' green" at Jim Henson's funeral. I watched and cried and watched again and realize that sweetness and love have big places in this world, so tomorrow I'll tell Big Bird it would be a privilege to shake his wing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZyMptC2eQ
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.