WPT Be more Tuned In Podcast -- UW Band Director Michael Leckrone...

We spoke with Michael Leckrone, the University of Wisconsin Director of Bands, via telephone from his office at UW-Madison. Since 1969, Leckrone's energy and enthusiasm has been synonymous with the UW Marching and Varsity Bands. The mp3 podcast conversation can be downloaded here and can be enjoyed on your personal computer or loaded onto your personal mp3 player for on-the-go listening. You can also subscribe to our monthly podcasts via iTunes by clicking here.

For nearly 40 years, Leckrone has led the UW Band through football halftime marching presentations, rousing basketball and hockey games and the annual Spring Concert. The yearly show started its run in 1975 in Mills Hall in front of a crowd of 400 family members and friends. Now, it's held at the Kohl Center for three consecutive nights each April for near-capacity crowds. With professional production, pyrotechnic displays, Leckrone's daring aerial entrances and, of course, all of the favorite UW songs, the show is a perennial fan favorite.

In our conversation, Leckrone talks about his experiences with the band, the evolution of the spring show and why he knows that UW's fans are the best in the nation.

The 2007 Spring UW Varsity Band Show: Masters of the House airs on WPT at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 5.

America at a Crossroads finale schedule...

If you have been wrapped up in watching America at a Crossroads -- the epic documentary series about post-9/11 life throughout the world -- this week on WPT, Be more Tuned In wants to alert you to the special broadcast schedule of the final installment of the film series. Part six will air at 10 p.m. Sunday, April 22 on all of WPT's statewide channels.

For folks interested in taking their viewing experience of the 12-hour series beyond the television screen, PBS has created a wide range of extra support materials. Descriptions and extra material from each of the 11 films that are airing this week can be accessed here. This site has a timeline of post-9/11 events covered in the films. Viewers from around the globe have submitted video diaries to this site that share their reactions to the program.

And, to help raise your own discussion among family, friends or other gatherings, there is a collection of discussion guides available at this Web site.