Jayne Dent is a British interdisciplinary artist, singer and composer and I was absolutely delighted to explore ideas around  a creative and playful life with her. You’ll be hearing clips of music from Me Lost Me, with inspirations from folk culture old and new. She opened my mind to what folk creativity and community can mean in the 21st century.You’ll also hear about community music making,  collaborations with dancers,  experimentation with e-textiles, and the challenges and joys of her career path.  I was really struck by her creative and curious spirit and you’ll be hearing about some of her chance-based writing tips andher varied interests from creating costumes to medieval sword fighting. 

In this podcast, PJ Adzima (The Book of Mormon) shares his journey from farm life to Broadway and CEO of Stage Time. He reflects on a pivotal moment: "He saw a kid with hunger and talent... and it changed my life." Listen to how PJ is creating opportunities, and how drag, comedy and his energetic drive have fueled his success. Podcast, Video and Transcript.

NYC-based Dutch singer, educator, and psychologist Vivienne Aerts joins Leah Roseman  in this inspiring podcast.  Discover her upcoming album "Current," recorded on a 1951 sailboat blending jazz, electronics, and vocal loops. Learn about her interdisciplinary approach, mindfulness, her teaching at Berklee, and the project "Typuhthâng" Watch on YouTube, listen to the podcast, or read the transcript.

I was so honoured and delighted to have this opportunity to have this conversation with Nancy Shear, whose diverse career in classical music will fascinate you. I loved reading her memoir “I knew a man who knew Brahms” which is very much a book about appreciation for great music making as well as the importance of reflecting on the legacies our elders. You’ll hear about insights gleaned from her close releationships with many luminaries including Leopold Stokowski and Mstislav Rostropovich. Nancy was a troubled teenager when she began working as part of the Philadelphia orchestra library staff, and her brave determination, sensitivity and brilliance have led her to many unexpected opportunities. Whether or not you are currently a fan of classical music, I’m sure Nancy’s wisdom and storytelling will inspire you.

This is my second conversation with Grammy-winning producer Ian Brennan, whose work continues to make a meaningful impact around the world. If you missed Part 1 of our interview, be sure to check the link in the show notes.

In this episode, we explore Ian Brennan’s remarkable approach to recording music in some of the most remote and overlooked places on Earth. You’ll hear stories from his travels to Ghana, where he recorded in witch camps, as well as projects in Bhutan and within unhoused communities in Oakland, California—near where he grew up.

This ongoing series highlights more than 50 albums Ian Brennan has produced, many of which have helped local musicians gain international recognition and perform outside their home countries for the first time.

In addition to his work in music production, Ian Brennan is also an accomplished author and a respected expert in nonviolent crisis resolution. In this conversation, we also discuss his book Peace by Peace and the philosophy behind his work.

The excerpts the albums featured in this episode are linked in the show notes.

Max ZT of House of Waters shares insights on improvisation, global music, and creativity in this in-depth interview. He discusses his new album with Manu Delago, his journey studying in Senegal and India, and his approach to the hammered dulcimer. Featuring behind-the-scenes stories, collaborations, and mindfulness practices that shape his unique musical voice.

Trombonist Jeff Albert joins me for a two-part conversation. The beginning of this episode explores the unique Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech which celebrates musical inventors from around the world. You’ll be hearing some of these instruments from this year’s competition and you’ll find that information linked in the show notes. The second half of this episode is about Jeff’s life as a trombonist, improvisor, music technologist and professor. You’ll hear about his many years playing and recording in New Orleans across many styles and how digital media pairs with his interest in experimental music. All the music excerpts you’ll hear are linked in the show notes for you, from several of Jeff’s albums. Whether you play in a laptop orchestra or have only the vaguest idea what that means, you’ll enjoy Jeff’s great stories and insights. 

I’ve been following the Guthman competition for a couple of years and I’ve also linked several previous episodes for you with musical instrument inventors in the show notes, as well as some of the other trombone players I’ve featured. 

You can watch the video  on my YouTube  or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript.It’s

Musician and disability rights advocate Gaelynn Lea returns to discuss her memoir It Wasn’t Meant to Be Perfect, inclusive music-making, and the power of connection, community, and disability advocacy.

You may know Scott Nygaard from his career as a guitarist in the bluegrass and acoustic scene for more than 30 years, his work as former editor and writer with Acoustic Guitar Magazine, or as one of the co-founders of Peghead Nation. You may not know his novel Evergreen, based on his transformative first year at Evergreen College in 1973. I love a coming of age story, and this is very much a tale musical growth and about the loss of innocence during a time of societal changes . We also explore Scott’s most recent album, Flown South which was recorded after a serious accident, when Scott had to relearn to play guitar.

 You’ll also be hearing music from his wonderful album Rosco with the Swedish guitarist Roger Tollroth, best known as a founding member of Väsen. Another collaboration you’ll be hearing about is Crow Molly, which features mandolinist Joe K. Walsh (a previous guest of this podcast). Scott shared his experiences recording with Chris Thile, touring with Joan Baez, and his move to Chile. I really enjoyed this opportunity to hear Scott’s wise observations on what really matters in a creative and connected life well-lived. 

Carolyn Kendrick is a fiddler, songwriter, and producer based in California. I’m really looking forward to her upcoming podcast with Tristan Scroggins “Don’t Call Me Darlin’,” based on an archive of Women in Bluegrass newsletters.  You’ll also be  fascinated to learn about Carolyn’s project “Each Machine” and you’ll be hearing some of that music and about her research into the Satanic Panic. She also started a really cool initiative with her friend Isa Burke, the  Gender Equity Audio Workshop. You’ll hear Carolyn’s tips on songwriting, how she remembers songs, and how she’s built balanced life in music. 

You can watch the video  on my YouTube  or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript.

This episode  is Part 1 of my new series with the Grammy-winning producer, author, and musician Ian Brennan who seeks out musicians from remote corners of the world.He has produced over fifty remarkable international records since 2009 across five continents with his wife the Italian-Rwandan filmmaker, photographer and author Marilena Delli Umuhoza. In this episode you’ll hear excerpts and stories from  the Tanzanian Albinism Collective, documenting the descendants of the last slave ship in Mobile, his first trip to Rwanda and meeting The Good Ones, the trip to Comoros with Comorian and the Zomba prison project in Malawi. You’ll also hear about Ian’s work inside locked psychiatric institutions and his development of violence-prevention methods that emphasize empathy. 

As a producer, he has become known capturing performances with minimal equipment, with the goal of bringing the listener directly into where the music is happening with a sound that feels intimate, warm, and immediate. The links for all the music you’ll hear are in the show notes. 

It was so inspiring to have this conversation with  the multi-talented singer-songwriter and pianist Vienna Teng . 

In this episode we’re featuring  the band Few of a Kind’s new album, a beautiful collaboration with Vienna, Brandon Ridenour, Ben Russell, Yousif Sheronick, and Andrew Gutauskas. Vienna takes us inside their creative process with excerpts from each track.  She also  reflects on what truly makes a great song, how her identity evolved with parenthood, and how she has connected with audiences through her climate action workshops. Vienna also shared insights into two other brilliant recent projects, her unique album We’ve Got You and  “The Riversitter” after Dave Eggers’ “The Museum of Rain”.

You’ll hear the charming story of how she actually found her stage name, some  highlights including opening for Joan Baez, performing on the Late Show with David Letterman and especially what it felt like to return to touring and recording after a ten-year hiatus after working in environmental sustainability. 

You can watch the video  on my YouTube  or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript.

I was honoured to have this opportunity to talk to the pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico about her extraordinary life in music and the arts. She shared wonderful and moving stories about Ann Southam, Louis Quilico,  Pierre Boulez, Jacques Isrealievitch, and her legendary teacher Rosina Lhévinne. 

I was really struck by Christina’s open-minded attitude throughout her long career to learning new music, culminating in almost 70 brilliant and powerful albums so far; it’s  amazing to learn that most of her recordings are recorded live, in one take.  Christina also shared how meaningful it is to her to be a mother and grandmother, as well as respected academic; she’s Professor Emerita and Senior Scholar at York University in Toronto. Among many honours, she has been appointed to the Order of Canada, and the Royal Society of Canada.  

  Her curiosity and creative energy seem limitless; she’s a poet and visual artist,  she’s studied Ancient Egyptian culture, and she lives her life spiked with humour and a down-to-earth attitude.  We are also including excerpts from several of Christina’s albums and performances including music by Mozart, Art Tatum, Ann Southam, Meredith Monk and David Jaeger. The podcast, video and transcript all linked.

Hank Moore became a radio DJ at just ten years old, then went on to  influence the broadcasting industry. In this interview you’ll hear about his experiences interviewing Elvis Presley, working as an advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson, and earning two inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. From payola to the negative effects of the  deregulation of broadcasting, he offers valuable perspectives on the music industry. Hank has crossed paths with legends like Ed Sullivan, Frank Sinatra, and Burt Bacharach, and lived through many moments that defined popular culture. We discussed his Pulitzer Prize nominated Pop Music Legends and some of the many highlights from his varied and fascinating career in broadcasting and business. The podcast, video and transcript all linked here.

The trumpet player and composer Nadje Noordhuis joined me  for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, creativity, and carving out a life in music on her own terms. Nadje reflects on her early musical upbringing in Sydney, Australia, and the formative training that led her toward jazz trumpet. She remembers her friend Lois Martin, and Nadje speaks candidly about experiences of sexism in the music world, and the challenges of breaking into the New York jazz scene—financial struggles, years at the Manhattan School of Music, and finding her footing as a woman in jazz.

She reflected on her collaborative project Multitudes with composer James Shipp, and you’ll be hearing clips from that project as well as Gulfoss with Maeve Gilchrist, Full Circle with Fred Hersch.  She talked about being about to record with the legendary engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug, and Nadje encourages all of us to take risks to follow our own paths. 

Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) is an internationally acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist, actor, activist, and educator currently based in New York City. You’ll hear how her Indigenous Big Band project started, the history behind jazz in Native American communities and inspiration from Delbert Anderson to Jim Pepper. A special influence in her life has been Mildred Bailey and you’ll be hearing some clips from Julia’s Mildred Bailey Project album throughout this podcast; the track names are in the timestamps. Mildred was a very important figure in jazz and Julia is also working on a film about her life and career. Julia spoke about some of the sexual harassment she has experienced and how she was affected by the experience of sexual assault by a professor when she was in graduate school. She opened up about how she got through that time with the support of her vocal teacher Jo Lawry . In the shadow of this challenging time, Julia shared some fascinating specifics into how her  voice teachers Jo,  Theo Bleckmann  and also Kate McGarry helped push her artistic and expressive boundaries, and later what a  transformative experience it was to be mentored by Esperanza Spalding. 

Julia’s identity as an Indigenous jazz musician shapes her creative life in so many affirming and inspirational ways; I’m so happy to share this meaningful conversation with you. 

British flautist and composer Eliza Marshall joins me to celebrate her new album Eternal Birth — a bold, genre-defying project blending classical, folk and world traditions into a rich cinematic soundscape. Recorded in the UK and Senegal, the album features haunting flutes, whistles, bansuri, spoken word, percussion and electronics, alongside an exceptional cast of world-class and Grammy-winning musicians. Eliza shares stories from her wide-ranging career — from The Lion King and touring with Peter Gabriel to loop pedals, Ranagri, and her project Freedom to Roam — as well as reflections on creativity, risk-taking, re-wilding, and living a deeply connected musical life.

Gabriel Kahane Interview: Heirloom, Songwriting, and Creative Practice — Composer, songwriter, writer and storyteller Gabriel Kahane joins Leah Roseman on Conversations with Musicians. Hear excerpts from Heirloom, Book of Travelers, and Magnificent Bird, plus insights on songwriting, conducting, theatre training, his upcoming book, and creating socially engaged music.

The Swedish fiddler Lena Jonsson has created a unique style inspired by traditional Swedish music as well as many other influences. Today we’re focusing on the wonderful 3rd album by her trio, “Folk Covers” which celebrates many great folk music composers of today. I think you’ll really enjoy this uplifting conversation which features a lot of music, including Lena giving us some spontaneous house concert experiences, and clips from the new album, with insights into process of curating and interpreting these folk covers; please note the timestamps have the tune names. You’ll also learn about the Swedish folk scene and regional differences, her experiences studying both in Sweden and Boston at Berklee, her love of creative design and how to dance a Polska.

I knew parts of this conversation would be difficult because violinist Lara St. John is a survivor of a horrible case of sexual abuse and assault at one of the most famous music schools. I’ve been following her story since the first article came out in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and I wanted to release an episode with her close to the release of her film “Dear Lara”. She’ll be announcing the world premiere of this powerful documentary in early 2026, which I was able view before this conversation that we recorded earlier this year in October. Please note that there are detailed timestamps, so you can go to specific parts of this wide-ranging interview, especially since there are mentions of both sexual assault and a suicide attempt. 

However, Lara is so much more than a survivor, activist, and film maker. She’s known internationally as a phenomenal violin soloist and her creativity, warmth, humour and brilliance come through in this interview during which we talked about many things: her decision to become the first classical soloist to start her own record label, her formative year in the former USSR, advice about learning music and the violin, and a tribute to one of her main mentors, Joey Corpus. In fact Joey’s amazing story wasn’t one I was familiar with and since this conversation I’ve learned more about this inspiring pedagogue. 

We talked about two of her many albums, and you’ll hear a couple of clips from Shiksa and She/Her/Hers; track names are in the timestamps and everything is linked to Lara’s website in the show notes. Lara is also known for her love for iguanas, and at the very beginning of this episode you’ll get to meet Baby Octavius.