R.E.M.’s Mike Mills: Classical Music Isn’t Stodgy

| September 30, 2019 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2019/09/mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:2954;s:6:"height";i:1662;s:4:"file";s:42:"2019/09/mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569832822402-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:11:{s:8:"aperture";i:0;s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";i:0;s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";i:0;s:3:"iso";i:0;s:13:"shutter_speed";i:0;s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";i:0;}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:30:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:3000;s:6:"height";i:2128;s:4:"file";s:19:"mills_mcdufffie.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-336x238.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:238;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-771x547.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:547;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"mills_mcdufffie-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-438x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:438;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-374x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:374;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mills_mcdufffie-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"full-1569596245980";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:2992;s:6:"height";i:2130;s:4:"file";s:34:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332.jpg";}s:23:"thumbnail-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"medium-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-336x239.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:239;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"large-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-771x549.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:549;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-icon-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:34:"wbhm-featured-square-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:32:"wbhm-featured-home-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-437x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:437;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:36:"wbhm-featured-carousel-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-372x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:372;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"post-thumbnail-1569596245980";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569595936332-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"full-1569832822402";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:2969;s:6:"height";i:1922;s:4:"file";s:34:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980.jpg";}s:23:"thumbnail-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"medium-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-336x218.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:218;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"large-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-771x499.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:499;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-icon-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:34:"wbhm-featured-square-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:32:"wbhm-featured-home-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-480x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:36:"wbhm-featured-carousel-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-409x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:409;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"post-thumbnail-1569832822402";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"mills_mcdufffie-e1569596245980-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alex Irvin
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  Sacks and Co.
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => error
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:1:{s:4:"full";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:52:"Backup failed: The backup directory is not writable.";}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:0;s:14:"optimized_size";i:0;s:7:"percent";i:0;}}
        )

)
1640581746 
1569847698

Mike Mills is best known as the bass player for the rock band R.E.M., but recently he’s taken up composing. His Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra will be played Wednesday night at the Lyric Theatre as part of a concert called A Night of Georgia Music.  The program features violinist Robert McDuffie as well as Birmingham native and Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell. Mills spoke spoke with WBHM’s Michael Krall about the work, and about his time with R.E.M.

Web extras:

On figuring out what he wanted to do after R.E.M.

download

On being asked about an R.E.M. reunion

download

On playing a concert and the audience is with you every step of the way

download

Editor’s Note: The concert promoter Red Mountain Entertainment is a program sponsor of this performance, however WBHM’s business and news departments operate independently.

 

The ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ halftime show was a massive hit for Netflix. The football was too

Netflix says more than 200 countries tuned into the "Beyoncé Bowl" and its two NFL games. We may just be starting to learn what that ultimately means for the future of television and sports media.

Bird flu has killed 20 big cats including cougars at a U.S. wildlife sanctuary

The sanctuary in Washington state said it was working with officials to determine the cause of the outbreak, which has killed over half of its cats in recent weeks.

Israel strikes Houthi targets in Yemen’s capital. WHO chief says he was nearby

A round of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital and multiple ports. The head of the World Health Organization said the bombardment occurred as he prepared to board a flight.

Public Radio’s Favorite Live Sessions of 2024

Watch in-studio videos from Rosanne Cash, Nathaniel Rateliff and more.

Giving a kidney to a stranger? Researchers call it ‘extraordinary altruism’

Only about 300 to 400 people a year give a kidney to someone they never met. It's an act of generosity so unusual, a neuroscientist studies the people who do this.

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister from 2004 to 2014, has died

Singh was known as the father of economic reforms in India. He served as finance minister in the early 1990s, and his policies then set India on the path of economic liberalization and globalization.

More Arts and Culture Coverage