I was honoured to record this interview with Boman Desai, whose wonderful recent novel “Brahms Comes to Dinner” I highly recommend. You’ll hear how this work came out of Boman’s larger novel “Trio” and he shared stories about several of his other acclaimed novels including “The Memory of Elephants”,  “Portrait of a Woman Madly in Love” and his book about the Lennon-McCartney Beatles songs “Dancing About Architecture”. Some of Boman’s writing comes from his Parsi family history and the life of his grandmother, and you’ll hear about several life-changing moments including with the legendary editor and writer Diana Athill. Podcast/Video/Transcript

I have been so inspired to discover the brilliant British-American violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen’s wonderful discography and I so enjoyed this opportunity to talk to her about her creative life. She spoke to me about the debut of her sister’s violin concerto and you’ll hear about Freya Waley-Cohen’s earlier work Permutations. Tamsin has performed and recorded extensively with the great pianist and composer Huw Watkins and you’ll also be hearing short excerpts from their album “Reflection” including two works written for Tamsin: Huw’s Violin Sonata and the late Oliver Knussen’s Reflection. She opened up  about postpartum anxiety, depression,and also the creativity parenting requires, and connected to that,  her upcoming album with Cordelia Williams “Dreamscapes and Lullabies”. Tamsin is Artistic Director of the Two Moors Festival in the U.K. and she shared her thoughtful curation of their upcoming October programming. We also talked about the satisfaction and intensity of touring and her wholistic approach to playing the violin. Finally, Tamsin shared some powerful musical memories with some of her great mentors.

 Mary Beth Orr is a wonderful award-winning horn player and folk vocal artist. Throughout this moving episode you’ll be hearing short excerpts from her album “The Singing Horn” which celebrates traditional Appalachian songs with Mahler and contemporary works composed for Mary Beth through Vox Novus’ Fifteen Minutes of Fame Project. Mary Beth is currently 3rd Horn of the Grand Rapids Symphony, and she shares the best advice I’ve heard about succeeding at orchestral auditions. 

 Mary Beth experienced a serious accident that threatened her life and then her ability to play the horn and she shares many other difficult personal challenges.  I was so moved to hear her story and wisdom and I encourage you to come back and listen to the end. You can watch the video  on my YouTube  or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript. 

This is my third conversation with Ian Brennan in this mini ongoing series with him, within my podcast. If you missed Parts 1 and 2 they are linked .Today you’ll hear about how he recorded some of the oldest voices in the world in Azerbaijan, and some of the bonus tracks including  the Kronos quartet and The Good Ones.  Ian shared how he met the Malawi Mouse Boys and then brought them to international attention, and what  that has meant for them. We talked about the Chicago Gunfire Survivors project, Ian’s book Peace by Peace, 99 Steps Toward Violence Prevention and De-escalation, and the powerful Parchman Prison albums. At the end I asked him about his Grammy-nominated album with Ramblin’ Jack Elliot “I Stand Alone”.

I’m so happy to bring you this episode with the  British Ivor-nominated composer, violinist and sound artist Ruby Colley. She grew up with her artist parents and her brother Paul who is neuro-divergent and non-speaking.  This conversation shines a light on her beautiful album Hello Halo with the brilliant Exaudi vocal ensemble. She composed this alongside her brother, transcribing Paul’s sounds and using recordings of his voice to make a vocal map of his life & relationships. You’ll be hearing music from this work as well as her project Overheard. Ruby spoke to me about the influence of Breton folk music and J.S. Bach and how she uses field recordings. You’ll also hear about how she has collaborated in some of her audiovisual projects with her mother the artist Kate Adams who founded Project Art Works, a visual arts organization that collaborates with neurodiverse individuals and those with cognitive impairment and high support needs.  We talked about navigating music education, stepping away from competitive environments, the joy of improvisation and Ruby’s upcoming project inspired by the  beauty of swifts.  

Duo FAE violinist Charlene Kluegel and pianist Katherine Petersen join me with a focus on their album Dissidents of the Gilded Age with music of Dame Ethel Smyth, Cécile Chaminade and Amy Beach. We got into conversations around education, what a path to a career in classical music can look like, and how they have dealt with challenges including becoming mothers. Podcast, Video and Transcript. Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

I really enjoyed this opportunity to speak with Mack Hagood, author of Hush: Media and Sonic Self-Control, to explore how we use sound to manage our minds, moods, and modern lives.From white noise apps and noise-cancelling headphones to tinnitus and sound therapy, Mack helped me understand the complex relationship between media, technology, and the human need to tune in (or out). We discuss the surprising cultural history behind everyday sonic tools — from the 1964 Sleep-Mate sound conditioner to Irv Teibel’s visionary Environments recordings, to Dr. Amar Gopal Bose’s 1978 flight epiphany that led to noise-cancelling headphones. Mack reflected on teaching “The Smartphone in Society,” and concerns with both social media and streaming platforms. Towards the end of this conversation he explained why started his podcast Phantom Power and how his childhood in New Orleans eventually led him to the new field of sound scholarship. 

🎧 Pat McCusker: Scoring The Ezra Klein Show, Touring with David Duchovny, and Composing for Podcasts

Composer and audio producer Pat McCusker joins me to talk about his work creating music for The Ezra Klein Show, his role at The New York Times, and what it’s like touring the world as a musician with actor David Duchovny. Pat's music also appears on The Daily, Modern Love, and many more.

🎶 What we talk about in this episode:

• Composing the theme for The Ezra Klein Show

• Scoring for podcasts and working with The New York Times

• Touring internationally with David Duchovny

• The power of music in shows like Severance and White Lotus

• Tools and gear Pat uses as a composer

• Managing anxiety and building creative community

If you're a composer, musician, or podcast fan, you'll find plenty to connect with in this conversation.

I have become a big fan of Ruckus, a dynamic Early Music ensemble, and I so enjoyed this uplifting conversation with Clay Zeller-Townson, their Artistic Director and bassoonist. You’ll be hearing clips from The Edinburgh Rollick with music from the Niel Gow collection, featuring the violinist Keir GoGwilt, and because this music is very much at the crossroads of Scottish traditional music and Baroque music, it delights audiences who are more into folk as well as baroque. Listeners interested in creative pursuits will be inspired to hear Clay’s ideas around crafting something truly personal and unique and connecting with audiences, as well the importance of access to music education at all levels. We also got into Ruckus’  Fly the Coop project with flutist Emi Ferguson with a wonderfully fresh take on the music of J.S. Bach, and a lot of what Clay shared was how the musicians connect deeply with their audiences with contemporary relevance in many different ways.

Martha Redbone Interview: A Creative Life Rooted in Afro-Indigenous Identity and Appalachian Traditions

Martha Redbone is acclaimed for her powerful performances as a singer, as well as her prize-winning song-writing, composition and arranging. For over 30 years she’s been in a successful collaboration with her partner Aaron Whitby and we talked about some of their new theatrical projects including Black Mountain Women, The Sex Variants of 1941, and Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks.  Throughout this episode you’ll be hearing clips from Martha’s powerful album The Garden of Love  which sets the poetry of William Blake to the diverse music of Appalachia, written with Aaron and John McEuen of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Many people think of the music, culture and history of Appalachia in terms of the blend of white settlers in the area, but Martha’s family heritage from Harlan county Tennessee include African-American, Cherokee, and Choctaw. She shared her experiences growing up with her grandparents as part of a coal-mining family, as well as the dramatic changes she has witnessed in Brooklyn over several decades. 

In this wide-ranging episode, you’ll also hear Martha’s great advice for self-care, maintaining boundaries and working collaboratively.  

 We started this conversation with Martha’s collaborations with clarinettist Tasha Warren and cellist Dave Eggar and if you missed my interview with Tasha last year it’s linked to this one in the show notes. 

Linked are the podcast, video and transcript.