As Americans, we work hard, and frequently for too little compensation. This afternoon on WWFM, I’ll be playing selections to honor the integrity of the American worker for Labor Day. We’ll hear Aaron Copland’s “John Henry” and John Alden Carpenter’s construction worker ballet, “Skyscrapers.”

We’ll also have uplifting works in celebration of the American spirit, including Walter Piston’s Symphony No. 4 and Elie Siegmeister’s “American Sonata.” Picnics and the great outdoors will also be a recurring theme, with pieces like John Corigliano’s “Gazebo Dances” and A.J. Weidt’s “Sweet Corn.”

So go ahead, crack open a cool one and enjoy yourself. You’ve earned it. It’s back to the mines tomorrow. Hard times come again no more, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.