The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, the Sex Pistols … the soundtracks of teenage self-discovery are many. Rarely do we think to include classical music on such a list – but Bernstein’s young fans show that it should be. 

In this episode, we ask: how does being a fan of something help us build our identities?

We share our memories of childhood books that enabled us to explore our sense of self. We consider what Swifties can teach us about becoming and being a fan. We explore what classical music fandom looked like in Bernstein’s day, and why celebrities are such useful figures in our search for ourselves.

From Bernstein’s archive, we meet three angsty teenagers: one aspiring to be Beethoven, another whose musical tastes have left her excluded by her peers, and a third in crisis, writing to thank Bernstein for “practically saving her life.”

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Producers: Rowan Bishop and Kate Guthrie

Hosts: Flora Willson and Kate Guthrie

With thanks to: Cheryl Melody Baskin, Michael Ellison, Cassandra Fenton, Mark Keedwell, Melanie Shaffer, Karen Skinazi, Chuck Talley and Justin Williams.

Funded by: the Arts and Humanities Research Council.