Legendary American composer David Amram, a genre-defying icon whose seven-decade career has earned him “rock star” status in the classical music world, will be celebrated on the occasion of his 95th birthday with a Beat Generation-inspired program featuring the Musicians of Ma’alwyck in the Taylor Auditorium at SUNY Schenectady tonight at 7pm.

Here are this week's highlights from the WAMC Listener Comment Line.

I know I’ve told this story before, but back when I was in college and we all had to come back early from winter break for indoor track, a bunch of us would get bored with nothing to do but practice and meets.

You've probably heard that microplastics are floating in our oceans and air, accumulating in our soil. They’ve even seeped into the food chain. Microplastics are everywhere.

Office workers regularly ask me when I was born. I typically respond that I have no memory of being born and ask if they do. It’s all hearsay – whatever our parents told us.

We’re all familiar with the saying, “You’re known by the company you keep.” Etymologists say it probably originated with the Greek playwright Euripedes, who was born 25 centuries ago – so it’s a well-established concept.

We all are familiar with New York’s Bottle Bill. That’s the law that requires a nickel deposit on some beverage containers – soda, beer, and water. It’s been on the books for over 40 years.

Across our region, neighbors quietly care for one another every day through volunteerism and generosity, and their commitment sustains our nonprofits and communities. Yet the challenges we all face increase daily.

David Amram turned 95 on Monday. On Friday, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck are honoring the legendary composer with a concert featuring several of his compositions and remarkably, a performance by Amram himself.

What do you visualize when you think of a mushroom farm? You probably don’t, at least I didn’t, until a few weeks ago because I didn’t realize that mushroom farming was a thing.