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Charles Ives biographer Jan Swafford traces the life of the New England insurance executive who forever transformed the American symphony.

On the new album Pushin' Against a Stone, the Tennessean surveys a spectrum of her home state's signature sounds. She tells NPR's Audie Cornish that she got over old anxieties about her singing voice by embracing it as a storytelling tool.

Shires has had a rough year: First she was sidelined by a broken finger, then her 150-year-old violin was broken while she looked on. She discusses her recovery and her new album, Down Fell The Doves.

Christopher Hopkins has a headache — and the data to prove it. He and other computer programmers are exploring ways to turn heaps of personal health stats into something shareable and easy on the eyes.

Like Civil War reenactors from this galaxy, the 501st Legion of Star Wars stormtroopers have very strict costuming requirements.

Another month means another genre-spanning mix of new music chosen by public radio's top DJs. Download new songs by Neko Case, Jason Marsalis, Valerie June, Porter Ray and many other artists.

All this week,NPR is taking a lookat the demographic changes that could reshape the political landscape in Texas over the next decade -- and what that could mean for the rest of the country.

From the sweet melodies by Bach to the quiet sound world of Morton Feldman, sample three fascinating new albums by today's top fiddlers.

Hearing — and holding — Mozart's own instruments is a thrill like no other. The great composer's violin and viola, which are only pulled out of storage in Salzburg about once a year, are in the United States for the very first time. And the magic they wield is undeniable.

Lionel Shriver has never shied away from contentious topics. Her latest novel, Big Brother, tackles the hot-button issue of obesity as doll-maker Pandora deals with her brother — washed-up jazz pianist Edison — and his massive weight gain.