http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19246307

This was a magazine I loved. It covered the type of music I play and listen to. Then like everything in my life I took it for granted and sort of ended up ignoring it. I guess I’m part of the reason it’s discontinuing it’s printed version. But I will probably always hang on to the copies I have because my bands are featured or blurbed in a few of them. And that bolstered my ego and made me feel good. That attention sort of validated what I was trying to do as a musician even though I wasn’t making any money at it.

Studio 360 may be one of the best weekly NPR shows for anyone interested in the creative process. Below is a link to one of my favorite segments and its description from its website.

http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2006/12/22

Studio 360 commissioned Pentagram, one of the country’s leading design firms, to give Christmas a makeover. They came up with a new typeface, color scheme, fir tree surrogate, and a radical proposal to channel the rampant commercialism to good ends. Pentagram partner Michael Bierut presents the plan to Kurt Andersen.

Be sure to check out their visual presentation kit as well!

Side note: I met Michael Bierut (and Kurt Andersen) briefly this last year at an AIGA conference. He is sort of a Wynton Marsalis for the graphic design profession in terms of respect, work, and being an industry spokesman. He’s the media’s goto source for smart commentary for graphic design developments and contributes to magazines like Print and his own shared blog Design Observer.