Pianist and composer Sophia Subbaya Vastek joins me today to discuss her new album, In Our Softening . I am completely enamored with this album, our conversation about Sophia’s music, and the magnificently imperfect instrument that inspired it. Enjoy this conversation, and be sure to check out the entire album as well! Based in Troy, NY, Sophia Subbaya Vastek moves quietly between musical worlds and defies easy categorization. She has been described as “a wonder” and “audacious” (Inactuelles), a...
Jan 02, 2023•41 min
Molly Joyce is back on the podcast to discuss her brand new album, Perspective , which features disabled interviewees responding to what access, care, interdependence, and more means to them. We talk about the development of the album, expanding accessibility with our art, and how a question from a mentor inspired the project itself. Thank you for listening! Composer and performer Molly Joyce has been deemed one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new...
Nov 08, 2022•42 min
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok is my guest on the podcast this week to talk about her creative work , connection, disability, humor, and most importantly: cats. Her play Cost of Living is in its final weeks on Broadway at the Manhattan Theater Club and you need to see it, so get your tickets here ! I’m thrilled to share some music from forthcoming MikeyPod guests Molly Joyce and Sophia Subbayya Vastek in this episode as well. Enjoy! Martyna Majok was born in Bytom, Poland and ra...
Oct 31, 2022•35 min
This conversation with interdisciplinary sound artist and composer Brian Harnetty covers everything from spirituality to creative process, to ethics of sampling, and beyond. We talk about (and listen to a few tracks from) his exquisite new album, Words and Silences , which was inspired by and includes archival recordings Thomas Merton made while in his Kentucky hermitage in 1967. I had a great time with this chat, and it inspired me to dive a bit more into the life and work of Thomas Merton. Enj...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr
Christopher Willits makes his third visit to the podcast today and I could not be more thrilled to share this with you. We talk about his latest album, Gravity , the concept of gravity, creativity, mortality, process, and the beauty in allowing things to be exactly what they are. This is another brilliant connection with a beautiful artist who has been a tremendous inspirational force in my own work, and I am so proud to share this conversation with you! Read more: MikeyPod 351 | Musician Christ...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Pageant Queen turned indie-rocker Caroline Weinroth joins me on the podcast this week to talk about Cinema Hearts , the band for which she serves as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter. We talk about her experience as a contender for Miss Virginia, and how that experience inspired the band’s EP, Your Ideal . Caroline’s insight and openness stopped me in my tracks a few times during this conversation and I can’t wait for you to hear it, as well as a couple of tracks from the album. Listen up! ...
Sep 20, 2022•40 min
Composer-Performer Sugar Vendil joins me this week to talk about one of her latest projects, hyPerFormFest , a one day (for now) eclectic, boundary-free music gathering featuring Jerome Gillespie , Chloe Alexandra Thompson , and Jasmine Hearn . We listen to some of her magnificent music, chat about our changing relationships with social media as artists, and so much more. I can’t wait for you to hear this! We didn’t get to talk about the opening piece during our conversation, which was a big mis...
Sep 15, 2022•39 min
Lavinia Jones Wright ‘s film project, Love All Alices , is the exact kind of thing that gets me fired up and inspired to the max. The finish line is a film, sure, but through my conversation with Ms. Jones I discovered the multiple layers of stage, video, community, and love that converge to tell the story of legendary New York acting teacher, coach, and mentor Alice Spivak . While you listen to this magnificent conversation, get yourself over to the Kickstarter for the film which is in its fina...
Sep 02, 2022•32 min
Author and musician Lotus Kay returns to the podcast today to talk about her new book, Friends Lift You Up , and the original music she has been releasing since her last visit on the podcast . I loved chatting with her about the book and how writing it helped with her own healing and in navigating autism. Lotus Kay is such a magnificent example of the way that younger folks are truly leading the us all into a more compassionate and just world. Lotus Kay is a singer songwriter and children’s book...
Aug 23, 2022•34 min
Annick Adelle ’s debut comedy album, “Between Two Worlds” will be released this Friday, and I was so proud to have a chance to chat with Annick about the project and the various ways Annick truly does exist between worlds. Be it the bridges between countries, genres, or genders, Annick’s creative voice finds an authentic space all its own. Give a listen to this fascinating interview and be sure to preorder a copy of “Between Two Worlds.” Annick Adelle is an internationally performing stand-up co...
Aug 08, 2022•29 min
Ayun Halliday‘s book, Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifesto, landed in my lap at precisely the right moment in time. I invited her on the podcast to discuss the book, and how she strives to embrace the act of being creative just for creativity’s sake. I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation …
Aug 02, 2022•39 min
On this episode of the podcast, I chat with Travis Andrews and Andy Meyerson AKA The Living Earth Show, one of the premiere contemporary chamber ensembles in the United States. We talk about their creative work, their brand new label, Earthy Records, and listen to some selections of their work, including a track from COMMANDO, …
Jul 25, 2022•48 min
On this episode of the podcast I chat with author, filmmaker, producer and serial entrepreneur, Miasha. We talk about her book turned film Secret Society, her inspiration, the importance of telling LGBTQIA+ stories through a BIPOC lens, and so much more. MIASHA is a real powerhouse, and was an absolute pleasure to talk with! Don’t …
May 27, 2022•25 min
My guest this week is Brandon Elliott, the Founder, Executive and Artistic Director of Choral Arts Initiative, an organization solely dedicated to bringing new music by living artists to life. We talk about his work with the organization, their most recent commission, From Wilderness, and how the gift of time and space deepened his understanding …
May 10, 2022•32 min
Harpist Emily Levin joins me on the podcast to discuss GroundWork(s), a commissioning project she founded to celebrate living composers through harp-centric commissions, and to pay homage to the communities that first supported them through hometown premieres. I chatted with Emily just days before the premiere of her first commission and felt so inspired by …
Mar 28, 2022•30 min
Musician and podcaster Jack Stafford joins me on the podcast this week to talk about his Podsongs podcast, to chat about some of the music his interviews have inspired, and embark on a pretty deep (yet accessible) spiritual excursion. If there ever was a perfect guest for this here podcast, this is the guy! I …
Mar 16, 2022•48 min
Ian Lockwood joins me this week to chat about his latest EP, Not Like Other Girls, his brilliant videos, the idea of building art through community, and just so much more. Ian provides some great insight here about the way he creates his work and I can’t wait for you hear it! Ian Lockwood is …
Jan 24, 2022•42 min
Shaina Feinberg joins me on the podcast this week to talk about the brand new second season of her series, Dinette. The show follows a group of female and gender non-conforming friends navigating their relationships with each other, the world and themselves. We chatted a bunch about how she created this (and her many other projects) …
Dec 20, 2021•33 min
On this week’s glorious episode of the podcast, I chat with author and musician Maria Konnor about her book, Girl Shock: I dressed as a girl for Halloween but then she took over my life! Maria’s story of how she escaped her “straight dude suburban life” is a fascinating one, and I found her journey toward …
Nov 02, 2021•42 min
Long before the dawn of social media influencers, Geoffrey John Davies decided to try out a new website called YouTube to share his love for music and all things violin. Well over a decade later, The Violin Channel has become the worlds #1 classical music news service. On today’s podcast, I talk with Geoffrey about …
Sep 29, 2021•31 min
On this episode of the podcast, I have a fascinating conversation with musician and archivist Dr. Louise Toppin about The African Diaspora Music Project – a database she created to help singers and orchestras to diversify their repertoire of works by African Diaspora composers. We talk about the inspiration behind the project, its future, and …
Sep 09, 2021•43 min
It’s release day for Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake and his award winning choral-ensemble Tonality! On this episode of the podcast, Dr. Blake and I discuss the new album, America Will Be, and the ensemble’s mission to use their collective voices to address themes of social justice to act as a catalyst toward empathy and community …
Aug 20, 2021•45 min
It’s high time I had my friend, Martin Rowe on the podcast, and the recent release of his new book of verse, The Animals Are Leaving Us provided the perfect excuse to bring him on the show. The verses in this book were inspired by two extraordinarily compelling and distressing photographs of animals in extremis taken by …
Aug 03, 2021•31 min
I had a blast chatting with musician Christian Douglas on the podcast this week. His debut album, Inside Voice, was written and recorded under quarantine, and as you might expect is largely inspired by the events of the last 18 months. Beyond that, though, we talked creativity, self-doubt, ritual, and so many of these juicy …
Jul 19, 2021•46 min
Joining me on the podcast (in a conversation I really needed) is author, essayist, and sex-positive content creator Gabrielle Alexa Noel. We chat about her book, How to Live With the Internet and Not Let It Run Your Life and so many nuggets to help out those of us who try to use the Internet …
Jul 05, 2021•26 min
This week I welcome author Nevo Zisin to chat about their book The Pronoun Lowdown: Demystifying and celebrating gender diversity. This conversation was a absolute delight, and we went deep into the book itself, reflected on the work of our queer ancestors, and discussed playing the long game as activists. So many laughs and insight …
Jun 07, 2021•47 min
This week I welcome Edward Button to the podcast to talk about his work with the renowned British a cappella vocal ensemble, The King’s Singers. Eddie and I talk about the history of the group, The King’s Singers Global Foundation New Music Prize, and the many other ways the group strives to champion music as …
May 31, 2021•25 min
Considering how much I love Michael Zapruder‘s music, I probably should not have been so surprised by how much we vibed together in this week’s episode of the podcast. His latest album, Latecomers, is rhythmically vibrant, melodically adventurous, and lyrically poetic yet conversational. Many of these qualities found their way into our conversation here, too, …
May 03, 2021•38 min
Like her latest solo theater piece Delejos (from afar), my conversation this week with Julie Piñero explores themes of grief, distance, Latinx identity, virtual reality, and music in a strikingly intimate way. Our conversation here dives deep into the loss that ultimately gave birth to this, her first solo show, but also into the seemingly …
Apr 19, 2021•36 min
I had a fantastic chat with Sheila Carrasco this week about her new solo show, Anyone But Me, (currently in its final week – Get tickets here!) The show dissects the psyches of women who struggle with self-identity, and our conversation explores the ways that creating and performing the show has transformed Ms. Carrasco’s own …
Apr 12, 2021•37 min
