NPR’s Go-To Theme Guy Goes Solo

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,

Published May 26, 2017 at 12:16 PM EDT

BJ Leiderman has made a career of creating the well-known jingles for NPR shows like Morning Edition. But Leiderman has also lived a double life and spent his nights jamming in rock ‘n’ roll bands, often writing original songs.

BJ Leiderman discusses his first ever solo album “BJ”

Now Leiderman has gathered those songs and more in his first ever solo album “BJ”. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Leiderman about his musical influences, and how his jingles are part of the cultural fabric.

Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

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Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

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