Career
He is also the creator of the Tiny Desk Concert series for National Public Radio Music, hosting intimate performances at his desk. The series curated by Boilen and the team of National Public Radio Music was inspired by a comment made by National Public Radio Music"s Stephen Thompson when he jokingly invited musician Laura Gibson to perform at Bob"s desk. The two of them went to see Gibson at a show at SXSW in 2008 and the loud crowd made it impossible to hear her.
The name of the series is a play on the name Tiny Desk Unit, a band Boilen played in from 1979-1981.
Bob Boilen was the director of the National Public Radio show All Things Considered (1989–2007) and chose the music between the news stories for that show. Those musical snippets or "buttons" was the starting point for the creation of All Songs Considered.
Boilen continues to write music with Michael Barron in a band called Danger Painters and also writes and releases solo music Boilen also composed the original theme music for Talk of the Nation.
From 1982 to 1986 Boilen filled a variety of roles including composer with Baltimore"s Impossible Theater.
He has also worked as a producer for Channel 50, and produced Science Live for the Discovery Channel. He"ll guest star as himself in the Season 27 episode of The Simpsons "Gal of Constant Sorrow".
