MikeyPod

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 this idea that dramatically changed the course of his life, and one of his la...

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 its present. I’m so excited for...

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 activism. Of course, we cover a bunch of other stuff as wel...

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 Canadian photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur , whose photos are...

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 topics so many of us contend with. I know this podcast will leave you as...

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 to create positive change. I’ve been in a place of thinking more carefully about how I want to show...

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 to be had on this episode as well as some great new music from T...

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 a way to find musical and social harmony in the world. I can’t wait for you to hear this...

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, as we talked about the a...

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 disparate emotions of grief and gratitude that share spac...

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 perception of self. I had such a blast with this co...

I am so proud to welcome composer, violinist, activist, and educator Daniel Bernard Roumain to the podcast this week. When I read last week that the Tulsa Opera made the decision to remove his aria “They Still Want to Kill Us” from the program for their upcoming concert to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa race massacre , I reached out immediately for an interview. This important...

Anna LaMadrid ‘s solo performance The Oxy Complex opens online this week at IAMA Theater Company and she joined me this week to talk about her process with creating the show, how it was inspired by life in quarantine, and what it’s like to exist in the dual roles of writer and actor. Ms. LaMadrid also filled me in on her wildly popular coaching hub for actors, Put Me On Self Tape . Ann...

I was treated to a preview of “Unraveling,” the forthcoming new video from dark electronic synth-pop duo PIERA a couple weeks ago, and I knew I had to introduce them to you, fair MikeyPod listeners. The music is a blend of influences I have always loved yet it still maintains a unique and vibrant voice of its own. Our conversation here reveals the beautiful humans behind the music, and...

I’ve been a casual fan of Myq Kaplan ‘s for a few years now, but it wasn’t until I started prepping for this conversation that I got a full picture of his work. He’s, of course, a brilliant comedian, but through listening to his podcasts and his music , I developed a whole new appreciation for his vast catalogue. We covered a bunch of ground here, but I was especially intri...

Tàhlia Audrí and I first crossed paths as cast members in Lauren Maul ‘s Bucolic a couple of years ago. I’ve followed all of her work since then, but was especially moved and empowered by her quarantine inspired series, QT 2020 which she launched on Instagram TV last year. It was great reconnecting with Táhlia about her creative work this past year, her recent collaboration with Comedy...

I first encountered Lee Uehara as the founder of NYC Podcasters Network , but soon discovered she also founded Asian American Podcasters Association , and of course hosts her own podcasts House of Lee NYC and Upper West Side Corner Talk . We talk about what drew her to podcasting, the importance of building community, and some ideas to help move through common frustrations faced by independent cre...

I have followed Stewart Mitchell ‘s activism and social media presence for quite a while now and been inspired by his seemingly tireless energy to show up for human and non-human rights. Then, I realized that he is an author with two books under his belt, a poet, a dad, and the founder of a new arts and activism initiative called V.O.I.C.E4Change , a human rights/animal rights advocacy group...

Israeli-American pianist Yael Weiss is the curator and performer of 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World . Through this commissioning and performance project, Ms. Weiss has commissioned new works from 32 countries of conflict and secluded areas spanning the globe. Our conversation about the project was fascinating on its own, but Yael’s purpose and inspiration goes much...

I am so honored to present this conversation with composer Joseph C. Phillips Jr. about The Grey Land , his monoopera which explores universal themes of humanity and identity through the intractable triumvirate of race, class, and power in American society. Our conversation began with the origins of the piece and broadened into a discussion about the white centeredness of the classical music world...

It would be difficult to summarize the impossibly prolific world of guitarist Mak Grgić in one paragraph. He is an accomplished classical guitarist who has performed all over the globe, a builder of communities, and an entrepreneur and educator. Our conversation here was just perfect for the beginning of the year, especially this year. We discussed the intrinsic value of art, moving forward throug...

Lotus Kay is a teen writer who has been published in  Thrive Global,  Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine, New Leaves, Light of Consciousness , and  Voya: Voice of Youth Advocates .  She is a recipient of a grant from Jane Goodall’s  Roots and Shoots  program for her work creating an educational campaign called  Bears for Cares  to educate youth ab...

From the moment Tom DeTrinis and I began chatting on Skype, I knew this conversation was going to be a good one! Tom is a an angry actor/writer/director/producer who has been at it since 8. From TV shows like Community and 90210 to camp theater in LA and NY, he has brought his personal point of view to everything he works on. We talked about the things that mutually piss us off, but also abou...

If you like comedy, therapy, and #poignancy, then you’ll love today’s conversation with award-winning comedian, actress and writer, Melinda Hill . She uses laughter as medicine in Inappropriate, her new comedy special about moving from trauma bonding to trauma mending. Melinda and I hopped right into the deep end of the pool with our conversation and covered creative process, her podca...

Sharrell D. Luckett is an award-winning artist, author, and professor who was introduced to me by my longtime friend and frequent collaborator Adam Fitzgerald . With just a glance at her work, I knew she would be a fantastic guest for the podcast. Digging more deeply, I discovered a magnificent poet, musician, and speaker whose work explores issues of race, performance, gender, weight and self-est...