Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! In 2021, our podcast released 24 episodes, each of which was centered around a musical theme. Some of the themes were pretty clear cut (like "Songs That Used Found Sounds" or "Dilla Songs"), while others were more abstract (like "Whimsical Songs" or "Mysterious Songs"), but they were all up for interpretation. We heard insights and ideas from 30 different panelists, each of whom brought a unique musical perspective to the show. This year's g...
Dec 15, 2021•26 min•Ep. 35
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The term "one-hit wonder" evokes a certain notion of failure. It implies that the artists that get slapped with that label could never follow up the song that made them global sensations. The truth is, getting even just a single hit is a monumental achievement, and these hits were so big that they took on a life of their own. For the latest episode of T&V, Carter and Mahea sat down with songwriter/vocalist Lina Farah (aka Naheli ) to dis...
Dec 01, 2021•55 min•Ep. 34
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Whether you consider yourself a morning person or not, the first thing you listen to can sometimes set the tone for the rest of your day. So what kind of song do you prefer to wake up to — something with a strong backbeat to shake you from your slumber or a tune with a gentle build to ease the way between dreams and reality? For the latest episode of Themes and Variation , Mahea and Carter sat down with Sarah Galdes , an incredible drummer a...
Nov 17, 2021•50 min•Ep. 33
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The concept of "groove" can be hard to pin down. That single word alludes to the rhythmic character of a composition, the feeling with which performers play their parts, and a certain ineffable something that catches the ear and sinks right into a listener's core. Creating something that sits right in the pocket requires both swagger and comprehension. For the latest episode of Themes and Variation , Mahea and Carter sat down with the ever e...
Nov 03, 2021•48 min•Ep. 32
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! While we may not believe anyone should truly be ashamed of their taste in music, most of us have been in a situation where we felt the need to explain why a particular song was part of our music collection. Call it shame or guilty pleasure, but there are tracks we quietly enjoy, while convincing ourselves they're outliers that say nothing about who we are as listeners. Sometimes, that stems from a fear of what our peers might think. Sometime...
Oct 20, 2021•43 min•Ep. 31
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! As an art form, jazz can be passionate or mesmerizing, spontaneous or calculated, inviting or intimidating. It's a unique genre of music, in that it is somehow perceived to be both inclusive and exclusive. For some, it is little more than the soundtrack of their holiday shopping trips, but for others, it's something powerful that relentlessly beckons to their very souls. In the latest episode of our podcast, we sat down with Peter Martin, a ...
Oct 06, 2021•49 min•Ep. 30
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are certain songs we recognize almost instantly. Sometimes it's because of a particular lick in the intro. Then again, it could be the use of an incredibly unique sound or instrument. And, of course, there are some songs that quickly ring a bell because of our personal connections to them. For the most recent episode of our podcast, Mahea and Carter sat down with Brian Funk (musician, educator, and podcast host) to discuss "Songs You C...
Sep 22, 2021•55 min•Ep. 29
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Some of the best moments in music are the ones that defy expectations, breaking from conventional "rules" in pursuit of something unique or unpredictable. These are often the instances that catch our ears, leaving us wondering what just happened and how those artists got away with something you just don't do . That irregular something can be an abnormal chord progression, an unanticipated instrument choice, or a way of using an effect with l...
Sep 08, 2021•48 min•Ep. 28
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are so many ways to "study music." You can do it by sitting down to practice your instrument, enrolling in a course online or in-person, or even breaking down a piece that you love in the context of a podcast you just so happen to host. For our first-ever livestreamed taping, Mahea and Carter sat down with author, educator, and doctoral fellow, Ethan Hein to discuss "Songs That Made Me Want to Study Music." In the episode, we talk abou...
Aug 25, 2021•42 min•Ep. 27
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Most music can heighten moods and toy with feelings, but what does it take for a song to truly send a listener on an emotional journey? Does it have to do with the instrumentation? What about the form, or the harmony? Does said journey need to feel like a rollercoaster of ups and downs, or can it be more subtle than that? To answer these questions, Carter sat down with his frequent podcast companion, Mahea Lee, as well as songwriter and mult...
Aug 11, 2021•55 min•Ep. 26
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! So what does it mean to do something truly amazing with a snippet of sound you've pulled from an existing song? And why have certain songs been sampled so many times? We dig into these questions and more in the latest episode of Themes and Variation , "Sample Fodder Songs." For the 25th episode of the show, Carter sat down with one of the greatest musical minds around, legendary composer and producer, Ramble Jon Krohn (who you may know under...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Have you ever found yourself singing along to a hit song at the top of your lungs, thinking "that can't be the line, can it?" It's a pretty common experience — one that typically ends with a shrug of the shoulders as you take in a deep breath in preparation for the next verse. If the melody's good and the groove is solid, somewhere between our thoughts of Sue Lawley and Jason Waterfalls , we just accept that Gene Simmons may have wanted to "...
Jul 14, 2021•43 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! What comes to mind when you hear the words "video game music?" Is it a vibrant series of retro-sounding bloops and bleeps a la our favorite princess-saving plumber, or a rich, orchestral landscape that might accompany an assassin exploring an open world? Making music for video games presents an interesting challenge. The composer must create something that fits a narrative as well as an aesthetic, in addition to providing a soundtrack that w...
Jun 30, 2021•50 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are certain songs that seem perfectly suited for stormy skies and drizzly days. In some cases, this can be attributed to sentimental lyrics, while in others, it's more about an incessant rhythmic figure or the presence of an instrument with a particularly delicate sound. Whatever the reason, it's as though you simply have to sit back and hit play to feel the raindrops dance across your skin. In the latest episode of our podcast Themes ...
Jun 16, 2021•41 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! In celebration of our new course, The Music of Boy Bands , we dedicated an entire episode of the podcast to some of music history’s favorite heartthrobs. After all, despite the inarguable commercial success of groups like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, boy band music has rarely been given the academic and analytical attention we feel it deserves. In addition to Mahea Lee (Carter's frequent co-host and the guiding voice of The Music of Boy B...
Jun 02, 2021•47 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The one where Carter shares some exciting news... Check out all of our courses including Modern Pop Vocal Production here . Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off! And check out our free Themes and Variation companion course for writing prompts and additional resources. Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at [email protected] or reach out ...
May 26, 2021•3 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! It's our 20th episode! And to celebrate, we're taking a deep dive into three very fun, very playful, Whimsical Songs . Joining Carter on this episode filled with whimsy are his frequent podcast co-pilot Mahea Lee, and Soundfly Founder/CEO, Ian Temple. The three of them discuss the seriousness of Hall and Oates , the DIY mastery of the band Vulfpeck, and much more! Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website chang...
May 12, 2021•55 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! This week’s of Themes and Variation is full of intrigue, excitement, and unanswered questions. What else would you expect from a theme like "Mysterious Songs?" For this one, Carter was joined by his co-producer and frequent co-host, Mahea Lee (composer, arranger, music educator) and one of our favorite people on the face of the planet, the inimitably wonderful trumpet player, singer, and songwriter, Rhys Tivey . Together we discussed the mus...
Apr 28, 2021•54 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Music can affect us in so many interesting ways. It can toy with our perception of time when someone on the other end of a phone line puts us on hold. It can motivate us to keep up the pace and push through the last leg of an early morning run. It can even say everything we've been failing to articulate, providing something that makes sense in the midst of a mind boggling year. In the newest episode of Themes and Variation, Carter is joined ...
Apr 14, 2021•57 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! J Dilla (aka James Dewitt Yancey) was, without a doubt, one of the most creative and influential musicians of his or really, any era of music. He was a true producer, possessing not only the technical skills required to make incredible music, but also the taste and artistry needed to create the kind of work that will forever be imitated, but never replicated. In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, Carter is joined by returning guests...
Mar 31, 2021•55 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Vocals are often the component of a song listeners most naturally seek out, sometimes without even realizing we're doing it. It's as though our instinctive connection with the sound of another human helps it cut through all the other noise — so much so that we expect the voice to be a focal point. How is it then, that some tracks manage to surprise, delight, and move us through the inspired ways they use and treat their vocals? In this episo...
Mar 17, 2021•58 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Cleverness can be demonstrated through the use of acrobatic word play, or through the specific ways someone might pair music and lyrics. We see it at work in the profound musings of writers who are introspective and empathetic. In the newest episode of Themes and Variation, the panelists discuss songs they feel exemplify the word "clever." In addition to my colleague and frequent co-host, Mahea Lee, I’m joined by Chris Lindsey, a Grammy-Nomi...
Mar 03, 2021•49 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Whether you're familiar with the term "found sound" or not, it refers to a concept you've almost definitely had some experience with during your music listening lifetime, possibly in one of these tracks! In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by Soundfly Mentor and incredible producer, Sam Friedman . The panel breaks down three of their favorite found sound-laden tracks for a truly immersive listening expe...
Feb 17, 2021•56 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Music can fill so many important and unique roles in society. It can provide entertainment or emotional catharsis. It can help us preserve history or keep up with the times. It can be a means of self-expression or a way to unite strangers around the issues that matter most. In the newest episode of Themes and Variation, the panel contemplates "Songs to Inspire Change." For this one, I was joined by two talented artists and profound individua...
Feb 03, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! It's time to hit the woodshed! On the latest episode of Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by their good friend Ian Barnett to break down some tracks that made them want to get better. Ian is the touring drummer for both Betty Who and Marlon Craft and he makes his own music under the name Mallow. Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website changing the way we build our creative skills. Check out al...
Jan 20, 2021•50 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! New year, new themes! We've got a special one for our first episode of 2021. On this episode of T&V, Carter and Mahea tackle Songs Defined By Their Solos. And they have the perfect guest for this deep dive into some incredible solos and the songs they defined in Kirk Hamilton. Kirk is a writer, musician, and the host of one of our all time favorite music podcasts, Strong Songs . Be sure to check out his podcast as he's probably uncovered...
Jan 06, 2021•54 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! It's here again — that time of year when the charm and nostalgia of our favorite holiday songs have just about worn off even though the lights are still twinkling brightly and at least a few gifts have yet to be wrapped. It's hard to appreciate the comfortable familiarity of a wintry carol when it’s been worming its way into your ears for weeks. Fortunately, we've got an episode to shake you out of the musical monotony of the holiday season....
Dec 22, 2020•51 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! What kind of music did your parents listen to when you were growing up? Did they listen to yacht rock classics? What about something a little more uplifting? Or maybe they listened to... the most popular band of all time. In this episode, our panel dusts off some heirloom LPs and takes a deep dive into their parent’s record collections to uncover some gems that have impacted their own musical tastes. And today, I'm joined by producer, songwr...
Dec 09, 2020•47 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Is it necessary for elements of its composition to defy musical convention? Should it incorporate ideas and technologies in ways listeners are unlikely to expect? Could it instead be largely a musical symbol of artistic independence and creative empowerment? In the latest episode of our podcast, "Themes and Variation," our three-person panel discusses some examples of how Taylor Swift, T-Pain, and Radiohead have contributed to the world of p...
Nov 25, 2020•52 min
Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, our three-person panel discusses a trio of songs that feature vocal performances deemed "memorable" for a variety of reasons. For this conversation, Carter sits down with the astoundingly talented and highly accomplished artist, Sırma Munyar (vocalist and songwriter) and his frequent podcast companion, Mahea Lee (composer, arranger, educator). They talk about groundbreaking artists, arguably the...
Nov 11, 2020•45 min
