Leon Fleisher was born July 23, 1928 in San Francisco, California and began studying piano at the age of four. A noted child prodigy, Fleisher became a student of Artur Schnabel at the age of nine, after which Fleisher's career in piano began in earnest. In 1964, he began to suffer from focal dystonia, a condition that cost him the use of his right hand until corrected in the mid-1990s. Fleisher is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a recepient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2007), and the Andrew W. Mellon Chair at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins. In this oral history, Fleisher describes his early career and mentors, his experiences with the Peabody Institute and Baltimore, and the history of the Peabody Institute, including its formal association with Johns Hopkins in 1978. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Born in Detroit, Michigan on September 18, 1951, Dr. Benjamin Carson received his B.A. in psychology from Yale University and his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School, after which he became a resident in neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the Hospital, he was a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, and pediatrics, specializing in brain injuries and notably separating conjoined twins in 1987. While practicing medicine and since retiring in 2013, Carson has served on numerous boards of trustees, received medals such as Presidential Medal of Freedom, published academic articles and six books, and undertaken a career in politics. In this oral history, Carson describes his relationship with Hopkins, the unique character of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and his work as a doctor. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Leo Geier introduces the viewers to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and then introduces William Sebastian Hart, faculty member at the Peabody Conservatory and founder/musical director of the Gettysburg Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Hart states that the three artistic entities of music are the composer, the orchestra, and the conductor. The composer invents the music, which is made up of rhythm, melody, and harmony. He demonstrates each of these elements with the tune "Pop Goes the Weasel," which he also plays in the styles of Mozart, Bach, Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Prokofiev. Baltimore composer Sidney Shapiro wrote these variations for this broadcast. Next Dr. Hart describes the history of the orchestra and how instruments were added. He shows a chart of the orchestra seating for a 90-member symphony and explains how the sounds are balanced. Lastly, Dr. Hart explains how the conductor and his baton evolved from the church's choirmaster keeping time with his staff. He displays one page of a full orchestra score and explains each line written for different instruments. The conductor has many tasks, including controlling the orchestra's balance and timing, setting the pace, and unifying the whole, but most of all he must inspire the musicians.