Musically Speaking

This week’s Friday Five features a recommendation of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones’ Christmas album Jingle All the Way . From a jazz-infused take on Jingle Bells and Linus and Lucy to a stunning twelve-key, twelve-meter setting of The Twelve Days of Christmas , this album offers a playful and virtuosic reimagining of familiar holiday music. With surprising touches like Tuvan throat singing, a Bach...

This week we look at how a musical diet shapes musical desires and how teaching students to read music frees them to participate rather than just consume. Featuring recordings from Geneva Academy’s ninth and tenth grade musicianship class, this episode explores why Renaissance polyphony, music literacy, and singing outside our own time form not only better musicians but stronger communities. The F...

In this long-form Musically Speaking conversation, I sit down with theologian Alastair Roberts at Theopolis Institute to explore what happens when we learn to hear the Bible musically. Alastair argues that Scripture isn’t something we simply analyze from above like a map. It’s more like music we enter—where themes develop, time interpenetrates, and the rhythms of typology and liturgy work together...

This week’s episode reflects on the music of childhood and the way a musical mother shapes the imagination. In honor of Suzi Richey’s birthday, I look at a few songs near to her when I was growing up, from Sweet Beulah Land to music from Scott Sontag and Reba Rambo. These artists and tunes have stayed in my memory even though decades have passed. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast ser...

In this week’s episode, we look at how Randy Newman writes through invented characters rather than speaking in his own voice. From satire to tenderness, his songs use irony, perspective, and a distinctive piano style to help us hear truth in unexpected ways. Here’s a link to the heartbreakingly beautiful song, Wandering Boy : https://youtu.be/I2s1WNagdA0 Here’s a link to Randy Newman’s NPR Tiny De...

In this week’s episode, we look at what happens when the words of one song are forced onto the tune of another. The result is usually funny, cringeworthy, or both. But our reaction teaches us something important. We do not just hear lyrics. We hear music as meaning. The tune and the text are meant to support one another. When they disagree, we notice instantly. Here’s a recording of Girlfriend in...

In this week’s episode, we look at why there are two commonly sung versions of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. We listen to the familiar slower tune and then to the original rhythmic version that Luther wrote. We consider how rhythm helps congregational singing and why this hymn still matters today. Here’s a PDF of the song if you want to sing it yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gbo4baculoj4...

In this week’s episode, we listen to the many talents of Phil Keaggy — the guitarist, the vocalist, and the musical interpreter of great texts. From the lyrical compassion of The Little Ones to the Beatles-like shimmer of Love Divine and his haunting setting of C. S. Lewis’s As the Ruin Falls , Keaggy shows how excellence and devotion can live in the same song. Here’s an interview with Phil Keaggy...

I’m finishing up PhD Qualifying Exams in Fort Worth, TX. Enjoy this early episode of the Friday Five, which features a fun story about Artificial Intelligence and music. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features five minutes of music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Richey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discus...

In this week’s episode, we listen to one of the most quietly powerful voices in modern music. Jennifer Warnes is best known for her unforgettable duets and her interpretations of Leonard Cohen’s songs, but her gift runs deeper, carrying a kind of quiet grace that lingers long after the song ends. Here’s a YouTube playlist of the album Famous Blue Raincoat : https://youtu.be/tNYiMxHbcE4?si=BiMm1JwS...

In this week’s episode, we hear three of my eighth-grade students sing Dona Nobis Pacem as a round and explore why canons are more than warm-ups. Canons help singers grow in independence, blend, and harmony, making them one of the best tools for choirs of any age. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features music commentary, examples, and recommenda...

In this week’s episode, we explore Joachim Neander’s hymn Wondrous King, All-Glorious, and reflect on how singing it before dinner became a surprising moment of connection both in our home and online. We consider what makes table singing so meaningful, why this hymn is a treasure, and how incorporating hymns into daily life reshapes our experience of community. Here's a link to the viral singing r...

In this week’s episode, we consider how singing polyphonic music trains our ears for harmony, strengthens independent musicianship, and builds music literacy. With examples from Victoria and Byrd, we explore how this music shapes both singers and listeners. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features music commentary, examples, and recommendations f...

In this week’s episode, we reflect on hymns that guide us through moments of grief and turning. From Abide with Me to A Mighty Fortress , these hymns, among others, help us lift our eyes from sorrow to the sure hope that God’s kingdom remains. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Ric...

In this week’s episode, we hear how pianist Jacques Loussier and his trio reimagined Bach with the swing of a jazz rhythm section. From the famous Air on a G String to the Toccata and Fugue in D minor , these works remind us that sometimes all they need is a modern genre like jazz to bridge the gap and let us hear just how vibrant they would have sounded when first created. The Friday FIVE is a we...

In this week’s episode, we consider why certain voices move us even when they sound rough around the edges. These are voices that break the mold, resist polish, and still draw us in. What makes them so compelling? The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Richey. Here’s a few listening li...

In this week’s episode, we look at how the familiar Doxology, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,” was not originally a stand-alone hymn. It was the shared ending of three different texts by Bishop Thomas Ken. Morning, Evening, and even Midnight devotion all resolve in the same four lines of praise, a pattern that still teaches us how to frame our days. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minu...

In this week’s episode, we consider Chris Stapleton’s Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore and why it leaves such a lasting impression. Along the way, we’ll make a surprising connection to a classic country hit and explore what makes songs like this worth returning to again and again. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features music commentary, examples, and...

In this episode, we look at the life and legacy of Cecil Frances Alexander (1818–1895), who wrote many hymns for children, including All Things Bright and Beautiful , Once in Royal David’s City , and There Is a Green Hill Far Away —but whose poetic clarity and theological depth often surpass what many churches sing for adults today. We explore how her lyrics arm young worshipers with truth, invite...

In this episode, I take a look at one of Mason Williams’ lesser-known but brilliantly crafted pieces: “The Last Great Waltz.” You probably know him from “Classical Gas,” but this tune tells a quirky story using shifting meters and clever musical turns. Here’s the link to listen to “The Last Great Waltz” in its entirety on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H0jMhedM_-I The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minut...

This week, I take a closer listen to Be Still, My Soul , a hymn of quiet trust and enduring hope. We’ll hear excerpts from David Erb’s choral arrangement and explore how this hymn has shaped generations through grief and faith. Here’s a link to listen to “Be Still, My Soul” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_HYtMuSyCck The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that...

In this episode of the Friday Five , I revisit the classic hymn Now Thank We All Our God , but not in the way you might be used to hearing it. I explore a rhythmic version of this well-loved tune, bringing Johann Crüger’s original 1648 setting back to life with clarity and energy. You’ll hear a recording performed by my junior and senior musicianship students from Geneva Academy in West Monroe, Lo...

This week, I feature Dearest Magdalene (Big Burn) by my friend and talented guitarist Bill Stutzman. Inspired by the Great Fire of 1910, this ballad from the album Cardinals and Fireflies unfolds like a final letter from a husband and father facing death as he sends his family to safety. With poetic storytelling, ghostly harmonies from his wife Cherise, and a warm vocal delivery reminiscent of Jam...

Before “The Star-Spangled Banner,” there was CHESTER , a bold and faith-filled anthem that stirred the hearts of the American colonies during the Revolution. In this Independence Day episode, I take a closer look at William Billings’ iconic tune and share three reasons why it's worth rediscovering. From its patriotic theology to its uniquely American fuging style, Chester is a song worth hearing a...

This week, we highlight Roger Miller’s fun album, Roger and Out , and share why its blend of humor, heartfelt songwriting, and playful charm makes it a must-listen. Join us as we unpack what makes Miller one of country music’s most creative voices and why you should give Roger and Out a listen. Here’s a link to listen to the album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2wuO3nwb5IJXIKoDyHblyF?s...