MikeyPod

Thank you to everyone who’s stuck around while I find my rhythm again with this podcast. And what a conversation to come back with! I got to talk with writer and performer Mike Albo about his new audiobook, Hologram Boyfriends: Sex, Love and Overconnection, out now on Macmillan Audio. We got into desire as an energy — where it lives, how it’s changed since the smartphone made it portable — and what it’s been like to watch gay men shift from pariahs to culturally marketable, which Mike describes as a kind of whiplash. We also talked about the live performance pieces woven into the audiobook and how they came together at the Parkside Lounge. Mike Albo is a writer and performer whose novels include Hornito, The Underminer, and Another Dimension of Us, alongside the memoirette Spermhood and the novella The Junket. He’s written for The New Yorker, New York Magazine, GQ, and TED, and was the Critical Shopper columnist for the New York Times. His solo shows have toured the US, Canada, and the UK. There’s a bonus conversation with Mike dropping Wednesday for Patreon subscribers — we get into his writing process, which surprised me so much it came up in my therapy session that week. Find it here on my Patreon page. Connect with Mike: WebsiteSubstack Photo of Mike Albo by Eric McNatt The video version of this podcast can be found on my YouTube channel.

I loved talking with finance creator Leila Kartforosh for this weeks episode! Leila is a microbiologist turned financial coach and content creator who also happens to be my very own financial coach, too. We talk about her transition to self-employment, the significance of authenticity in her YouTube videos, and the surprising evolution of her relationship with money. Leila Kartforosh is a personal finance coach and content creator behind the brand Personal Finance with Leila – Debt Over It. After spending five years paying off over $82,000 of her own debt, she left her corporate career to help others get clarity and control with their money. She shares simple, practical, judgment-free strategies on budgeting, debt payoff, and wealth building through YouTube and one-on-one coaching. Outside of finance, Leila loves reading and staying active in the gym! Connect with Leila:YouTube channel Website A video version of this interview can be found on my YouTube Channel. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who receive bonus episodes for this show, among other perks. Learn more at patreon.com/michaelharren

This week’s episode brings back writer and musician Brett Gleason, and I was so happy to reconnect with him! We talked about a couple of big shifts he has made recently: leaving New York for LA after twenty years, and his move from music to writing. It was cool to realize we had both made similar changes in our late thirties, though that was nearly twenty years ago for me! Brett and I also discussed one of his songs, “Sensory Deprived,” why he values the process of writing, and so much more. I’m always so excited to have the chance to talk with Brett, and I know you’ll love this episode, too. Brett Gleason is the author of the confessional memoir in progress, ‘Moody & Gay’ – focusing on his experiences as a bipolar, gay musician from New York. A creative writing graduate of the New School in NYC, he moved to Los Angeles after a career as a performer and recording artist and is now once again writing while working in the music industry as a marketing professional.  Brett writes to make the unseen seen, to find the truth behind the story, even when he was at fault. This creates writing that is often intimate and vulnerable, literary but straightforward. His works in progress can be found on his Substack. A video version of this interview can be found on my YouTube Channel. Connect with Brett:WebsiteSubstackInstagramTikTokFacebook This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Brett where we get a little saucy!  Learn more right here!

I loved this conversation with writer and zinester Ayun Halliday. We got into her new book Panther City, an illustrated comedy set in the pre-bicentennial Midwest, and talked about how she captured the emotional intensity of childhood without losing the humor and weirdness of that age. The book’s dual-narrator structure gave us a lot to chew on, not to mention the little mysteries she plants along the way. We also talked about our own childhood memories, how kids learn about the world from each other, and why those early peer moments feel so high-stakes. From there, we shifted into the incredible story behind Panther City’s illustrations—drawn by Ayun’s nine-year-old pen pal, Leni Yow-Fairs. The whole process is exactly the kind of DIY magic I adore Ayun for. Ayun and I also dug into creative habits: the pull between festivity and focus, the joy of making work for its own sake, and her long relationship with self-publishing—from traditional book deals to the handmade, decades-long world of The East Village Inky. Based in New York City, Ayun Halliday is a writer, illustrator, performer, and the creator of the legendary zine The East Village Inky, now in its 27th year. She’s the author of books including The Big Rumpus, No Touch Monkey!, Job Hopper, and Peanut, and her newest work, Panther City, blends humor, nostalgia, and the messy emotional landscape of childhood. Her work often mixes cartooning, memoir, and social observation, grounded in a fiercely DIY spirit and an instinct for finding depth in the small, strange corners of everyday life. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Ayun where we talk about procrastination and the creative process!  Learn more right here!

After a three-year hiatus, I’m excited to be back with MikeyPod. This conversation with Kevin (as a robot) Laibson is exactly what I needed—it cracked open things I’ve been grappling with in my own work. I’ve been thinking about AI and human interaction as I work on my creative projects, and Kevin is exploring these same questions through performance. He’s a director and performer working at the intersection of live performance and emerging technology. His solo show The Harmnf—an adaptation of Chekhov using AI tools—is a meditation on failure, alienation, and our relationship with technology. We talk about directing AI actors, how the show evolved, and what he’s learned about human error and connection when technology mediates everything. This is the kind of peer thinking I need—someone building serious work at the edge of what performance can be. Get tickets for this weekend’s performance of The Harmnf right here. Based in New York City, Kevin Laibson is a director, performer, and educator working at the intersection of live performance and emerging technology. As a mixed-reality artist, he explores what happens when human creativity meets AI and code. His work has been featured at SXSW, SIGGRAPH, and venues including National Sawdust, The Flea, and Abrons Arts Center. He’s served as Artistic Director of Magic Futurebox and The Peoples Improv Theater, and currently leads XR performance research at Agile Lens in collaboration with institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company and NYU. His solo performance The Harmnf—an adaptation of Chekhov using AI tools—is a meditation on failure, alienation, and our uneasy relationship with technology. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Kevin!  Learn more right here!

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), and as performing with “passion and profound tenderness” (Second Inversion) and “serene strokes and lyrical beauty” (Brooklyn Rail). Her debut album Histories was released on innova Recordings in 2017, produced by multiple Grammy-winning engineer Adam Abeshouse. Second Inversion described the album as “both an homage to Vastek’s own individual histories but also a beautiful mosaic of the larger cultural intersections of our world—and how we weave those histories together through music.”  She has since released the EP Lili, as well as several recordings and singles spanning multiple genres. Sophia has toured internationally across three continents. Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:38 The Seas that Made Us – Sophia Subbayya Vastek10:35 Conversation with Sophia Subbayya Vastek36:05 After Stardust – Sophia Subbayya Vastek40:05 Outro Follow Sophia Subbayya Vastek on Instagram, YouTube, and Bandcamp. Photo of Sophia Subbayya Vastek by Kiki Vassilakis This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Sophia Subbayya Vastek!  Learn more right here! I’d love to have you in the Discord server! Think of it as a big chatroom where we can talk about whatever without the typical social media negativity and randos harshing our vibe. There are a few of us active in there right now and we’ve been discussing gratitude, podcast guests, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. I’m happy to help if you need it! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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-music dome” by The Washington Post. Her music has additionally been described as “serene power” (New York Times), written to “superb effect” (The Wire), and “unwavering” and “enveloping” (Vulture). Her work is concerned with disability as a creative source. She has an impaired left hand from a previous car accident. The primary vehicle in her pursuit is her electric vintage toy organ, an instrument she bought on eBay that suits her body and engages her disability on a compositional and performative level. Her debut full-length album, Breaking and Entering, featuring toy organ, voice, and electronic sampling of both sources was released in June 2020 on New Amsterdam Records, and has been praised by New Sounds as “a powerful response to something (namely, physical disability of any kind) that is still too often stigmatized, but that Joyce has used as a creative prompt.” Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:09 Interdependence – Molly Joyce09:34 Conversation with Molly Joyce37:06 Weakness – Molly Joyce41:02 Outro Follow Molly Joyce on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Photo of Molly Joyce by Shervin Lainez. Molly Joyce previously appeared on MikeyPod 294. Listen to it here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Molly Joyce!  Learn more right here! I’d love to have you in the Discord server! Think of it as a big chatroom where we can talk about whatever without the typical social media negativity and randos harshing our vibe. There are a few of us active in there right now and we’ve been discussing gratitude, podcast guests, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. I’m happy to help if you need it! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 raised in Jersey and Chicago. She was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Cost of Living, which is currently on Broadway. Other plays include Sanctuary City, Queens, and Ironbound, which have been produced across American and international stages. Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:34 Connection – Molly Joyce07:18 Conversation with Martyna Majok28:50 In Our Softening – Sophia Subbayya Vastek33:36 Outro Follow Martyna Majok on Instagram and Twitter. Many thanks to Nolan Doran for his help in making this conversation possible. Molly Joyce previously appeared on MikeyPod 294. Listen to it here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Martyna Majok!  Learn more right here! I’d love to have you in the Discord server! Think of it as a big chatroom where we can talk about whatever without the typical social media negativity and randos harshing our vibe. There are a few of us active in there right now and we’ve been discussing gratitude, podcast guests, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. I’m happy to help if you need it! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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. Enjoy! BRIAN HARNETTY is an interdisciplinary sound artist who uses listening to foster social change. He works with sound archives and the communities connected to them, creating encounters that are centered on place and the transformative power of listening. Since 2010, Harnetty’s projects have brought together myth, history, ecology, and economy in Appalachian Ohio, informed by his family’s roots there. His current project, Words and Silences, is a musical portrait of Kentucky monk and writer Thomas Merton, fusing archival recordings of Merton’s voice with newly composed music. Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:22 Sound of an Unperplexed Wren – Brian Harnetty10:17 Conversation with Brian Harnetty26:36 Who Is This I? – Brian Harnetty34:15 Conversation with Brian Harnetty52:14 Breath, Water, Silence – Brian Harnetty58:08 Outro Follow Brian Harnetty on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Spotify. Photo of Brian Harnetty by Poynter Photo. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Christopher Willits!  Learn more right here! I’d love to have you in the Discord server! Think of it as a big chatroom where we can talk about whatever without the typical social media negativity and randos harshing our vibe. There are a few of us active in there right now and we’ve been discussing gratitude, podcast guests, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. I’m happy to help if you need it! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 Christopher Willits Christopher Willits is a pioneering composer, guitarist, producer, visual artist, and co-founder & director of Envelop, a nonprofit with a mission to inspire and connect through immersive listening. As one of the core artists on the Ghostly International label since the early 2000s, Willits has navigated the field of contemporary ambient music with curiosity and ambition, realizing an acclaimed body of work that includes collaborative projects with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Taylor Deupree, and Tycho. This driven-yet-gentle devotion to deep listening led him to the forefront of cutting-edge spatial audio production, a nascent technology at the time of his 2017 album Horizon, now adopted widely across the music industry. Willits operates with the conviction that music can create physical and emotional space for us to slow down and feel the present moment, which is the central intention of his 2022 album Gravity, his most personal and refined to date. Timestamps:00:00 Intro07:38 Christopher Willits – Crescent12:28 Conversations with Christopher Willits54:47 Christopher Willits – Regrowth62:46 Outro Follow Christopher Willits on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Christopher previously appeared on MikeyPod 120 (2008) and MikeyPod 228 (2017). Here’s my (in progress) Apple Music playlist featuring every song that has been played on the podcast. Some of the songs aren’t available on Apple Music, so not every song, but you get the idea. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an extended conversation with today’s guest, Christopher Willits!  Learn more right here! I’d love to have you in the Discord server! Think of it as a big chatroom where we can talk about whatever without the typical social media negativity and randos harshing our vibe. There are a few of us active in there right now and we’ve been discussing gratitude, podcast guests, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. I’m happy to help if you need it! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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! Caroline Weinroth is a musician, educator, writer, and arts advocate from the Washington, DC area. She has a Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Audio Engineering, both from George Mason University. Caroline is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Cinema Hearts. Cinema Hearts has performed at concert halls and rock clubs, including Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums, Arena Stage, AMP by Strathmore, Black Cat, DC9, and more. With Cinema Hearts, Caroline has toured to New York, Philadelphia, and other cities. She has produced four music videos and written three albums of original songs. Caroline is passionate about creating all-ages performance spaces. She has organized hundreds of open mic nights and concerts for young performers, collaborating with Girls Rock camps, Fredericksburg All Ages, Music Production Club of GMU, and local schools. Music:Your Ideal – Cinema HeartsSister – Cinema Hearts Check out Cinema Hearts’ album release show at Comet Ping Pong on Sept 23 at 10PM! Details here.Follow Cinema Hearts on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, and Bandcamp. NYC PODCASTERS: Join as at the 2nd Annual Mini-Conference + Podcast Meetup on October 9! More details here. Here’s my (in progress) Apple Music playlist featuring every song that has been played on the podcast. Some of the songs aren’t available on Apple Music, so not every song, but you get the idea. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature a long lost episode of a short lived podcast I created in 2005 for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. In cleaning up old files, I found this tucked away and am excited to share it with Patrons! Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the outro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. Discord is a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 miss on my part! Here’s what Sugar had to say about the piece: “May We Know Our Own Strength” is a short film by Jih-E Peng based on Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s installation of the same name. Sugar Vendil’s score, featuring her own voice, electronics, piano, and violinist Hajnal Pivnick, recalls feelings of horror and pain, the act of healing through ritual, and collective mourning and strength. Sugar Vendil is a composer, pianist, choreographer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Lenapehoking, known as Brooklyn. She started her artistic life as a classical pianist, and after spending nearly a decade searching for her own voice, her practice evolved into writing her own music and making performances that integrate sound, movement, and unconventional approaches to the piano. She writes and performs her own solo music for piano and electronics and has a keyboard/synth duo, Vanity Project, with composer Trevor Gureckis. Vendil is a proud second generation Filipinx American. Vendil was awarded a 2021 MAPFund grant to support Antonym: the opposite of nostalgia. Recent commissions include Chamber Music America to write a new work for her ensemble, The Nouveau Classical Project, which she founded in 2008; ETHEL’s Homebaked 2019 for Unsacred Geometry, and ACF | Create to write for Box Not Found.  Vendil loves dancing and collaborating with other makers. In September 2020, she danced in choreographer Emily Johnson/CATALYST’s The Ways We Love and The Ways We Love Better – Monumental Movement Toward Being Future Being(s) at Socrates Sculpture Park. She is part of Johnson’s Being Future Being, which showed at Bates Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow in July 2021, and will premiere at The Broad Stage in 2022. Vendil took part in premiering composer-saxophonist Darius Jones’ LawNOrder at The Stone and Being Caged in ICE (2018) at Roulette. She has performed at a variety of venues, ranging from arts spaces such as BAM Fisher, Dixon Place, Knockdown Center’s Ready Room, MoMa PS1, National Sawdust, the New School’s Glassbox Theater, The Stone, and Roulette; to galleries and spaces such as The Development Gallery, Milk Studios, and Spring Studios. Music:May We Know Our Own Strength – Sugar VendilBPM – Sugar Vendil Links:Follow Sugar Vendil on Instagram.Subscribe to Sugar Vendil’s Newsletter.Here’s Sugar Vendil’s blog entry about social media that I can’t seem to shut up about.Sugar Vendil’s 2016 appearance on MikeyPod Live! with Eve Beglarian. Photo of Sugar Vendil by Julia Comita.Follow hyPerFormFest on Instagram.Get tickets for hyPerForm 1 on Sept 25th This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature a long lost episode of a short lived podcast I created in 2005 for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. In cleaning up old files, I found this tucked away and am excited to share it with Patrons! Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the outro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. Discord is a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 final days! LAVINIA JONES WRIGHT’s unique and creative films, music and writing draw on her experiences in journalism, documentary filmmaking, traditional and digital film production, theater, comedy and rock and roll. With director Alex Steyermark, Lavinia traveled America cutting 78rpm records, producing and writing for the acclaimed The 78 Project Movie (World Premiere, SXSW Film Festival 2014) and The 78 Project web series. As an actor, Lavinia can be seen in The Affair on Showtime as well as in numerous other TV, film and web projects. She is a member of Alice Spivak’s OnTheRoad Repertory Company, and most recently performed in Laundry and Bourbon and a staged reading of I Am Us, both directed by Alice Spivak. With her sister, director Maris Jones, Lavinia co-created The Jones Family Retro Show, a live rock and roll comedy and variety show at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn that Gothamist called one of the “Best Things to Do in NYC.” As a journalist, Lavinia has contributed to The Oxford American, Billboard, SPIN, Harp and Crawdaddy!, and previously wrote and edited for ASCAP’s Playback magazine, website and music industry award shows. She has directed music videos for artists including The Mynabirds and ARMS, and is currently directing her first feature film about the legendary acting teacher Alice Spivak. Along with her sister Maris Jones and production designer Molly Schneider, Lavinia is currently co-creating a women-led, art-forward creative collective and production company as well as multiple upcoming web series and films.  Follow Lavinia Jones Wright on InstagramFollow Love All Alices on Instagram and Facebook.Photo of Lavinia Jones Wright by Maris Jones. 🚨Click here to join the Kickstarter campaign for Love All Alices! 🚨 This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an even deeper conversation with Lavinia Jones Wright.  Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the intro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. Discord is basically a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 author who has been published in magazines such as  Kindness Magazine, Thrive Global, New Leaves, Light of Consciousness, and Voya: Voice of Youth Advocates and more. 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 about endangered species and wildlife. She is the author of the children’s books More Beautiful Than Heaven,  Billie the Octopus, A Thanksgiving for the Turkeys and Jenny the Chimpanzee, and Friends Lift You Up , all in collaboration with Bears for Cares to educate kids on the importance and beauty of nature, and motivate them to help protect the Earth, and create a kinder, more compassionate world. She is twenty one years old. Music:Trust Fall – Lotus Kay Follow Lotus Kay on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.Follow Bears for Cares on Facebook and Instagram. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature a special recording from Lotus Kay.  Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the intro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. Discord is basically a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 comedian who began in San Francisco and now lives between New York City and Berlin. Annick performs throughout the US and Europe, recently opening for Iliza Shlesinger, and has appeared at Sketchfest in San Francisco and Laughing Skull Festival in Atlanta. Annick plans to tape with Comedy Central this fall.  Follow Annick Adele on Instagram, YouTube, and FacebookGet a copy of Between Two Worlds here.Photo of Annick Adelle by Frederik Löwer This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will feature an incredible conversation with this week’s guest, Annick Adelle.  Learn more right here! As I mentioned in the intro, I am just getting rolling on opening up a Discord server. If you want to join the community, you can join right here. DIscord is basically a totally free place where we can chat about the show and anything else. I’ll be adding more there, but for now, feel free to start up a convo in the MikeyPod or general channels. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast hosting! You can get a month free hosting, or get your $100 Blubrry Pro Hosting fee waived when you use the code “mikeypod” at checkout!

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 which just happens to coincide with what feels like the end of a loooooong creative slump I have been going through myself. Enjoy! Ayun Halliday is the Chief Primatologist of the long running, award-winning zine, The East Village Inky, and co-founder of Theater of the Apes. She is the author of seven books, including No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late and the Zinester’s Guide to NYC. She created and hosts the ongoing Off-Off-Broadway variety show, Necromancers of the Public Domain. Ayun lives in New York City with her husband, playwright Greg Kotis. Music: Radium Girls – Charming Disaster Follow Ayun Halliday on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTubeFollow Charming Disaster on Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, YouTube, and TwitterBe sure to check out the other magnificent titles at Microcosm! This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! Learn more right here!

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, their collective of queer and trans heavy metal, rap, and poetry artists. What are you still doing reading this description? Start listening! Now in their eleventh year of “outstanding” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “transcendent” (Charleston City Paper) performances, The Living Earth Show–guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andy Meyerson–is a megaphone and canvas for the world’s most progressive artists. One of the premiere contemporary chamber ensembles in the United States, The Living Earth Show exists to push the boundaries of technical and artistic possibility while amplifying voices, perspectives, and bodies that the classical music tradition has often excluded. The organization uses the tools of experimental classical music to foreground BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists, facilitating the creation of their most ambitious musical visions and creating work that reflects and responds to our world.  Based in San Francisco, The Living Earth Show has presented seasons of commissioned multimedia productions since 2011, working with dance companies, visual artists, sculptors, poets, and other musicians to craft compelling, immersive, California-centric productions.  Music:Hades and Persephone – The Living Earth Show & Samuel AdamsMeatswinga (Morello Muh Mello) – COMMANDOMusic for Hard Times: Vol. 2, Pt. 2 – The Living Earth Show & Danny Clay Follow The Living Earth Show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Check out Earthy Records on Bandcamp.Photo of The Living Earth Show by Natalia Perez This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! Learn more right here!

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 miss this episode, and of course check out the book and the film. A west Philadelphia native, Miasha had ambitions of being a writer at the early age of 9, after her dad secretly submitted one of her poems to the Daily News and it was published. With newfound confidence received from seeing her name in print, she wrote constantly, from poetry to plays and scripts. In high school, she was known by her classmates for having juicy stories in her composition books.  Inspired by the keynote speaker at her college graduation, fellow Philadelphian and author Karen E. Quinones Miller, Miasha wrote her first novel, debut novel Secret Society, straight out of college and ultimately landed Miasha a historic book deal, seldom given to first time authors.  Miasha became a force in the publishing industry – from having book release parties hosted by celebrities like Kevin Hart, to Simon and Schuster designating June “Miasha Month,” during which no other urban lit author could release a book, to being the first urban lit author given a spread in ELLE magazine. And she’s doing it again with film and television. Following the overwhelming success of her first feature,Secret Society, she is adopting her other novels into movies and a TV series. The highly anticipated Secret Society Part 2 is scheduled to be released in April under Miasha Productions, her namesake production company established in 2020. When Miasha is not writing and producing, she has her hands full as a wife of almost 19 years, a mom of two teenage sons, and a bonafide businesswoman. She is the owner of Rich Boys Brand, Inc., a brand offering trending children’s clothing and accessories online, as well as Hype Frenchie, a breeding program for Exotic French Bulldogs. Miasha is also an investor of Kings Kloth, an online store for Muslim Menswear. A serial entrepreneur who is steadfast on building generational wealth and instilling financial freedom into her children and other youth, she is the founder of Rich Boys Academy, a free online course that teaches kids how to start and grow a successful business. Her ultimate goals include growing her portfolio of investment properties and giving back to underprivileged and marginalized communities worldwide. She lives in Miami with her family. For more on Miasha, please visit: www.MIASHA.com Follow MIASHA on Instagram (@miashaofficial and @secretsocietymovie), Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Watch Secret Society on Amazon Prime. Do it! This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more!  Learn more right hhttps://www.patreon.com/michaelharrenere!

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 of the piece. I loved this interview and I know you will too! Brandon Elliott enjoys an expansive career as a conductor-educator, musician, arts leader, and consultant. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Choral Arts Initiative, an award-winning new music choral ensemble based in Orange County CA. Under his leadership, Choral Arts Initiative has received critical acclaim and recognition for its artistic excellence, musical innovation, and dedication to performing music from a vibrant roster of living composers. With a passion for new music, he has conducted the premiere of over 70 works. About Choral Arts Initiative: We believe that we have the opportunity to be a living metaphor that celebrates unity. We believe that fostering and embracing the music of emerging composers is critical to our art form. We believe that our community deserves to hear the greatest performances of new choral music. We believe that passion and sincerity should be at the forefront of all musical endeavors.  ​We are Choral Arts Initiative.  Music:From Wilderness selections: Sierras: No 1 Crabtree Meadows, No 2 Muir Pass and No 3 Tuolumne Meadows – Choral Arts Initiative conducted by Brandon Elliott. Composed by Jeffery Derus. Purchase and stream From Wilderness here.Give to fully fund Choral Arts Initiative’s 10th season here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more!  Learn more right here!

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 her passion for music and her instrument.  Emily Levin is the Principal Harpist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition. Her playing has been praised for its “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and the Herald Times commended her “technical wizardry and artistic intuition.” As a soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber collaborator, Levin brings the harp to the forefront of a diverse musical spectrum, using her instrument to connect with all audiences. Emily works extensively with established and emerging composers alike, which led to commendation from the New York Times for “singing well and playing beautifully.” The 2021-2022 season marks Emily’s launch of GroundWork(s), a initiative commissioning fifty American composers, one from each state, for harp-centric works. Each piece will premiere in the composer’s hometown, celebrating the communities that first supported them. Current projects include a solo harp piece by Michael Ippolito, and chamber works by Reena Esmail, Aaron Holloway Nahum, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate. Follow Emily Levin on Facebook and Instagram Music: Le Rossignol – Emily Levin This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more!  Learn more right here!

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 know you’ll love this episode! Jack Stafford is a British singer-songwriter and super troubadour. He is most well-known for his thought-provoking lyrics. He is on a mission to bring spirituality to the centre stage and mysticism back into the mainstream.Jack grew up in the UK but quickly moved to Amsterdam, where he lived a toyboy lifestyle working as a copywriter, musician and fashion designer. However, this led to burnout, so Jack sold all his possessions and set off on a bicycle tour as a nomadic troubadour. He travelled through 45 countries, playing over 700 house concerts in return for a place to sleep.He recorded many of his crazy adventures in his songs, and through those—plus countless self-help books and podcasts, as well as yoga, his Ayurveda songs, and Vipassana meditation—he grew and grew to become a unique modern-day troubadour. The culmination of his life skills is the unique Podsongs podcast, where—together with other musical artists from around the world—he interviews special people in selfless service to others, and writes a song to bring greater awareness to their work. Jack lives in seclusion in the South of Italy. He is a qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner, student of metaphysics and Italian representative of The Aetherius Society – he also hosts another podcast called the Mysticast. Follow Jack Stafford on Twitter and Instagram Music: You are Responsible – Jack StaffordBeating Guns – Jack StaffordMost Caterpillars Don’t Believe in Butterflies – Jack Stafford This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more!  Learn more right here! note: I’m in the midst of an unexpected overhaul of this website. Please excuse its bland and featureless current state.

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 a Brooklyn-based comedian and pop musician originally from Los Angeles. He  is the co-host of the stand-up show ‘Hot Teens’ at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective and has had recurring appearances on the Earwolf podcast Earwolf Presents. The Nasty EP released in 2020 introduced the comedy-pop style that has become Lockwood’s signature in the Brooklyn alt scene. He is an alumni of NYU Tisch’s Experimental Theatre Wing, Second City’s Comedy Studies, UCB, and The Annoyance Theatre NY, and his shows have been covered in Time Out, Brokelyn, Brooklyn Paper, Bedford+Bowery, and more.Follow Ian Lockwood on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Music:No Homo – Ian LockwoodYour Dad – Ian LockwoodNot Like Other Girls – Ian Lockwood This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Ian Lockwood!  Learn more right here!

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) on a micro-budget, her books, her writing for a number of publications (hello NYT and Washington Post), and so much more. This was an absolutely fantastic conversation that I can’t wait for you to hear! Shaina Feinberg is a filmmaker from New York City. She specializes in micro-budget filmmaking. Her six-part digital series, Dinette, which follows a group of female and gender nonconforming friends, was produced by BRIC Arts Media, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (2018) and was shouted out by New Yorker TV writer Emily Nussbaum. Shaina’s short film, Shiva, which is a hybrid of improvised comedy and real-life grief, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (2017). In 2019, Shaina was named by Indiewire as 1 of 25 queer filmmakers to watch. She co-wrote and directed Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, an original series for Audible. She also directed a second original series for Audible, Phreaks, which stars Christian Slater, Carrie Coon and Justice Smith. Shaina’s book Every Body–a candid look at sex from every angle–came out in January 2021 from Little, Brown. Her bi-weekly column in The New York Times, “Scratch” is an illustrated look at the world of business. Follow Shaina Feinberg on Instagram, and Vimeo. Music: Limit’s the Sky – Will Shish This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Shaina Feinberg!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month! note: I’m in the midst of an unexpected overhaul of this website. Please excuse its bland and featureless current state.

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 self-acceptance especially enlightening and inspiring. We give a listen to some of Maria’s music as well with three selections from her fantastic Quarantine Sessions.  Check out this episode at once and then run to your nearest bookstore to demand a copy of her book! After escaping from her straight dude suburban life, Maria Konner has been exploring and rocking San Francisco for over 15 years. She performs around the West Coast with her rock band Not From Jersey! playing guitar and singing mostly original songs, as well as playing jazz/blues/cabaret piano at various venues. She is also a host for her YouTube channel underthegoldengate.com where she performs, interviews guests (and some celebrities too!), and films various events around town interviewing people.  ‘I don’t have the gay gene, I have the trans and kink genes”, she always jokes when it comes to music and pop culture. ”At the piano bar, they expect Judy Garland, but I give them Sweet Transvestite, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. I know almost nothing about TV shows, but I love talking about the Cosmos.” Maria started off as an engineer in the Tech world, then migrated into corporate management consulting, financial planning, marketing/sales, and lobbying. She wrote several books about green energy and corporate politics, but got so fed up with that world, she then decided to try something completely different and live a trans life in San Francisco. Originally from Jersey just outside NYC, Maria’s love of the unique, authentic, and colorful started with her spending a large part of her childhood in East Africa, The Middle East, and London/UK, and filling her alone time with books and science documentaries. After coming back to the US, she didn’t rediscover that self until she landed in San Francisco. She was so fascinated and inspired by the people she met, she created a web channel to capture it via hundreds of videos. Maria has a biomedical and electrical engineering degree from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University where she was the valedictorian. She has a love-hate relationship with education as she believes that too much education distracts one from where the real education is, down in the trenches. Maria considers herself to be a musician above all else. ”Good music can’t lie. I don’t listen to words all that much. I care about the vibe more than anything else―it doesn’t matter if it’s a song, a conversation, a business, or a group effort”. These days Maria is working from home as a cybersecurity architect, making videos of her new piano music, writing down ideas for her next book and plotting to bring underground entertainment back to San Francisco after the COVID-19 crisis. Follow Maria Konnor on Facebook, Instagram, Medium, and YouTube  Music:Tinder and Grindr – Maria KonnorSandos! – Maria KonnorConfused by Your Charm – Maria Konnor This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 latest projects with the channel, The Vanguard Concerts. Geoffrey John Davies is the New York-based Australian founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of The Violin Channel — a leading international classical music news, media, and streaming platform, with a combined reach of more than 1 million followers and subscribers. Davies founded The Violin Channel in 2009, and was recently named one of Musical America‘s 30 Most Influential Arts Professionals in the World. Follow The Violin Channel on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Music:Missing You – Debbie Deane Photo of Geoffrey John Davies by Lee Clifford This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 you to hear this conversation, along with two magnificent recordings of Dr. Toppin in performance. Listen at the link below or in your favorite podcast directory! Louise Toppin is a noted performer, scholar and professor who specializes in the concert repertoire of African American composers. In the span of her career, more than 30 songs and 2 operas have been written expressly for her voice. In addition, she has sung the world premiere of 30 more songs and arias of contemporary composers. As the administrator of the George Shirley Vocal Competition for the past nine years and Videmus (a non-profit organization that promotes the concert repertoire of African American and women composers) for more than twenty-five years, she encourages the performance and scholarship of African American compositions by students and scholars through recordings, conference presentation, live performances, and lectures.   As a performer she has received critical acclaim for her operatic, orchestral, and oratorio performances throughout the United States, Czech Republic, Scotland, Japan, China, Uruguay, Colombia, Cuba, Sweden, the Caribbean, Bermuda, New Zealand, England, and Spain in such halls as Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall and Carnegie Hall (New York), Weill Recital Hall (New York), the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), the Gran Teatre del Licieu (Barcelona), the Beijing Concert Hall, and the Shanghai Opera House and the International Albeniz Festival in Camprodon, Spain. Music:Hold Fast to Dreams (Florence Price) – Louise ToppinSongs of the Season: II. Poeme d’Automne (Margaret Bonds) – Louise Toppin Both selections from the album Ah! Love, But a Day This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended extended conversation with Dr. T!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 well, and I can’t wait for you all to hear this episode! Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake works as an award-winning conductor, composer/arranger, vocal contractor, singer, and music activist. Named Musical America’s 30 Professionals of the Year in 2019 and the Louis Botto Award for Innovative actions and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America, Blake was recently featured in both the NY Times and LA Times for work in diversity and anti-racism within classical music. Blake is the Founding Artistic Director of Tonality, an award-winning choral ensemble focused on spreading a message of unity, peace, and social justice through a culturally diverse choral setting. He also serves as the Choir Director at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). He also serves in Los Angeles and New York City as a Principal Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus. As an arranger, Blake’s “Wade in the Water” was a featured arrangement at the North Carolina Music Educators Association convention in 2013 and is published with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. His arrangements of “Deep River” and “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” are published by Alliance Music Publishing and Walton Music Publishing, respectively.  Other musical activities include an opera conducting premiere at the 2019 Prototype Festival in New York City and preparing choirs for live performances with UCLA Center for the Art of Performance. Follow Dr. Blake on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Follow Tonality Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Music:1232 Lyfe – TonalityBuild Me Up – Tonality Tonality’s new album, America Will Be, is available on Bandcamp and on your favorite streaming service. Check it out! This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended extended conversation with Dr. Blake!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 included in the volume as well. Martin and I had a fantastic conversation about the book, the beauty that can be found in even the most troubling works of art, and so much more. Don’t miss this conversation! Martin Rowe is President and Publisher at Lantern Publishing & Media. He is the co-vice president of the board of the Culture & Animals Foundation and a senior fellow of Brighter Green. He is the author of The Elephants in the Room, The Polar Bear in the Zoo, Nicaea, and (with Evander Lomke), Right Off the Bat: Baseball, Cricket, Literature, and Life. He is the editor of The Way of Compassion and Running, Eating, Thinking: A Vegan Anthology. Follow Lantern Publishing & Media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Photo of Martin Rowe by Jo-Anne McArthur. Hear my conversation with Jo-Anne right here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Martin Rowe!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 recharged and invigorated as I was after my conversation with Christian. Christian Douglas is a multifaceted singer, songwriter and theater performer. Like flipping a switch he can go from performing “Nessun Dorma” for the President of Italy at the White House to appearing as Jack Kelly in Newsies, to belting “Uptown Funk” with a wedding band and singing his soulful original music. Christian’s diverse vocal skills have made him a sought-after performer in the D.C. area, appearing in musicals and cabarets at Arena Stage and Signature Theatre, as well as in nationally-televised concerts with the American Pops Orchestra. Christian recently released his first full-length album, Inside Voice, which features a melting pot of styles, genres and sounds to reflect how far our hearts and minds can travel when our physical bodies are stuck inside. The recording was created during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Music:Stay Inside – Christian DouglasLove Thy Neighbor – Christian DouglasThrough the Screen – Christian Douglas Follow Christian Douglas on Instagram, and Facebook, and YouTube.Find Christian’s music on his website, Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite streaming platform. Photo by Chris Mueller Photography. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Christian Douglas!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 up on social media, and this conversation with Gabrielle was just the thing to get my head around some of this stuff. I know you’ll love it too! Gabrielle Alexa Noel is an author, essayist, and sex-positive content creator. She has bylines everywhere including Cosmopolitan, the Huffington Post, Elle, Bitch, and Playboy. Her first book – “How To Live With The Internet and Not Let It Run Your Life” – was just released in March of 2021. You may have seen her on the MTV reality show ‘Singled Out’ (Quibi), the PBS show ‘#MeToo: Now What?’, and the queer comedy series ‘These Thems’. She was also featured in Bustle’s ’16 LGBTQ Activists, Artists, & Storytellers Bustle Readers Love Following’ list and was a part of Go Magazine’s ‘100 Women We Love Class of 2019. You can check out all her creative projects here. Otherwise, she’s a marketing professional and software developer living in NYC. Check out her Github to view her software development projects. Follow Gabrielle Alexa Noel on Twitter, Instagram, and GitHub. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 The Wheel Workers and Tranna Wintour. Listen up! Nevo Zisin (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, Jewish writer, performer, activist and public speaker based in Naarm/ Birraranga / Melbourne. They run workshops in schools and professional development trainings in workplaces around transgender identities. Author of award-winning Finding Nevo (2017), a memoir on gender transition and The Pronoun Lowdown (2021) a useful guidebook on all things related to pronouns. Nevo is one of Australia’s only transgender marriage celebrants and is very passionate about creating transcendent celebrations. They are a mentor for The Pinnacle Foundation, one of Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 for 2019, an ambassador for both Wear It Purple and the Victorian Pride Centre as well as a member of the Gender Euphoria cast – Australia’s largest all trans & gender diverse show on a main stage. Music:The Binary Code – The Wheel WorkersDid You Want This – Tranna Wintour Follow Nevo Zisin on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Nevo Zisin!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 conversation! For over half a century, The King’s Singers have been entertaining audiences all over the world with their virtuosity and trademark British flair. The group was officially born on May 1st 1968, when six recent choral scholars from King’s College, Cambridge, gave their first professional concert in London. Today, The King’s Singers are consistently welcomed on the world’s great stages. Alongside two Grammy® Awards, an Emmy® Award, and a place in Gramophone magazine’s inaugural Hall of Fame, The King’s Singers were delighted to be one of WQXR’s 20 for 20 artists this year. The King’s Singers Global Foundation seeks to champion music as a way to find musical and social harmony in the world.  Whether it’s audience members who come together from different walks of life united by a love of music, or choirs who create something more beautiful than the sum of their parts, music has a powerful effect on individuals, communities and the wider world, no matter people’s age, gender, race or circumstance.   At the beginning of this episode I talk a bit about working with a mentor (hi, Ian!) from Soundfly, you can check them out here. Follow The King’s Singers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Listen to their music on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream music! Photo of Edward Button by Rebecca Reid. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Edward Button!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 album, it’s journey, and Zapruder’s own journey as an artist. It’s a real privilege to talk to an artist like Michael, and I can’t wait for you to check it out! As a performing and recording songwriter, Michael Zapruder has made more than a dozen albums, including five solo albums and 52 Songs, a 1999 project in which he wrote, recorded and posted online one song each week for a year. He has performed across the United States as well as in Canada and Europe, and has been invited to perform at South by Southwest and Pop Montreal festivals. Zapruder’s records have been acclaimed by critics, with Pitchfork, the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice, Tiny Mixtapes, and many others lauding Zapruder’s ambition, uniqueness and songcraft. His 2012 project Pink Thunder, for which he made twenty-two songs from poems by living American poets, was hailed by the Huffington Post as “a work of extraordinary merit and historical significance,” and was selected as the Boston Globe’s 2012 Best Poetry Project of 2012. His 2008 record Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope won an Independent Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album and its song Second Sunday in Ordinary Time was nominated for Best Folk Song. Music:Latecomers – Michael ZapruderNew Quarantine – Michael ZapruderBoth tracks are from Michael’s latest album, Latecomers. Find it on Bandcamp and all the streaming and purchasing places. Follow Michael Zapruder on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Michael Zapruder!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 space in her psyche as of late. I’m excited to get this episode to your ears, and can’t wait for you to hear! Jule Piñero is a performer and multimedia producer known best for producing podcasts like Common’s “Mind Power Mixtape” at Audible, documentary series “Crash the Party” at HuffPost and for performing standup and live music around Brooklyn. She was an on-camera correspondent for HuffPost, interviewing newsmakers like Lorena Bobbitt and Ilana Glazer. She was nominated for two Webby awards for producing the food travel series “Food/Groups” with James Beard Award winning host Dave Infante and “Really, Dough?!” with Lucali chef Marc Iocono, now streaming on Amazon Prime. She produced memoir-style podcasts for comedians Kate Willett (“Dirtbag Anthropology”) and Mo Welch (“Come Out, Come Out”): a project spotlighted at the iHeartRadio Awards. She’s a co-host of Stoked Comedy (with Kelly Bachman, Amber Rollo and Davidson Boswell) in Brooklyn and performed sketch comedy with Sofa Kingdom.  Get tickets for Delejos (from afar) here. This Thursday April 22 is the last performance! I’ll be there… will you? Follow Julie Piñero on Twitter, and Instagram.Photo of Julie Piñero by Damon Scheleur. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Julie Piñero!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 conversation and I know you will love it too! Half Chilean/Mapuche, Sheila Carrasco is originally from the South Side of Chicago and an alumna of NYU and Harvard. Her most recent credits include IAMA’s Found: A New Musical (“Carrasco stand[s] out especially” — Stage  Raw) and the CBS pilot Ghosts, as Flower, a hippy ghost from the ’60s. On TV, she’s been seen in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, Outmatched, The Odd Couple, Life in Pieces, American Housewife and #VanLife for NBC/Universal. She was selected to perform as one of the JFL New Faces of Comedy, CBS Showcase (as both a performer and head writer), the  Groundlings, UCB, American Repertory Theatre, Moscow Art Theatre, Steppenwolf Garage and Chicago’s Court Theatre. Half Chilean/Mapuche, Carrasco is a creator for Más Mejor, Broadway Video’s premium comedy studio for Latinx voices. This is Sheila Carrasco’s first solo theater show and her first time doing one sans wigs and costumes… so basically naked.   Music:Take Me Out – BasesuiteThrough The Screen – Christian Douglas Get tickets for Anyone But Me here. Follow Sheila Carrasco on Instagram.Follow IAMA Theater Company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Please check out next week’s guest, Julie Piñero and her show, Delejos (from afar). There’s not much time left to check out her show! Another show to check out: Peter Michael Marino’s Planet of the Grapes, which opens this week and features and original score by me. Y’all got your entertainment lined up for you this week! This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Sheila Carrasco!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 conversation about this and his other experiences of racism within the classical music world also gave way to a gorgeous connection the the unmistakable change making power of art. I’m so grateful to share this conversation with you this week! Daniel Bernard Roumain’s acclaimed work as a composer, performer, educator, and activist spans more than two decades, and he has been commissioned by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (NYT), DBR is perhaps the only composer whose collaborations span Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover and Lady Gaga. Known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic, urban, and African-American music influences, DBR takes his genre-bending music beyond the proscenium. He is a composer of chamber, orchestral, and operatic works; has won an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Composition for his collaborations with ESPN; featured as keynote performer at technology conferences; and created large scale, site-specific musical events for public spaces. DBR earned his doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Michigan and is currently Institute Professor and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. An avid arts industry leader, DBR serves on the board of directors of the League of American Orchestras, Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Creative Capital, the advisory committee of the Sphinx Organization, and was co-chair of 2015 and 2016 APAP Conferences. Music:i am a white person who ______ Black people – Daniel Bernard Roumain / New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (be sure to check out the film here.) Follow Daniel Bernard Roumain on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, and YouTube. Check out the score for “They Still Want to Kill Us” and join in the collaboration right here.Photo of Daniel Bernard Roumain via Sozo Artists.Special thanks to Dana at Sozo Artists for assisting in making this interview happen so quickly. I am so grateful for your energy!

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. Anna LaMadrid studied with acclaimed Meisner teacher, Maggie Flanigan in NYC. She received her MFA from the University of Washington where she TA’d for undergrad acting students and discovered her love of coaching.  Born in Venezuela and raised between New Jersey and North Carolina–she spent most of her adolescent life saying things like “Y’all want some cawfee?” A Venezuelan born, East Coast-bred actor living in Los Angeles, LaMadrid starred as sardonic, gum-snapping “Jamie” in the critically acclaimed IAMA production of Bess Wohl’s American Hero (“boundlessly funny” — Los Angeles Times). She won a Stage Raw Award for Female Comedy Performance for her take on Betty 3 in Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops at Boston Court. Her TV credits include Vida on Starz (recurring); Love, Victor on Hulu; Bless This Mess and Grey’s Anatomy on ABC; and she was selected to participate in the ABC Discovers Showcase. In 2016, she launched Put Me On Self-Tape, a self-tape and audition coaching studio in L.A.   Get tickets for The Oxy Complex here. Follow Anna LaMadrid on Twitter and Instagram.Follow Put Me On Self Tape on Facebook and Instagram.Follow IAMA Theater Company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Photo of Ana LaMadrid by Jackson Davis. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Anna LaMadrid!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 their desire to share the potential they see for all of us. PIERA is the name of the singer and collaboration of the dark electronic-synth pop duo Piera Klein and Micah Plissner, residing in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Their sound is informed by the combination of their diverse backgrounds: Micah a multi-instrumentalist and producer originally from New York City and Piera, singer, songwriter, composer, and California native with a globe-trotting history, their sound is electronic, underground, beat-driven, synth pop, with psychedelic undertones and haunting vocals. The effect is both genre-defying and yet strangely feels familiar. Music:Unraveling – PIERAAs Good As You – PIERA Follow PIERA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Find their music on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. Photo of PIERA by Cameron Dunbar Other links mentioned:Planet of the GrapesPeter Michael Marino’s appearance on MikeyPodJane Siberry’s “Moraj” This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with PIERA!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 intrigued by the way his growth as a performer informed his growth as a human being. Enjoy this great conversation and a little taste of his music as well! Myq Kaplan is a comedian named Myq Kaplan. Myq has appeared on the Tonight Show, Conan, Letterman, James Corden, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, and America’s Got Talent. He has a one-hour standup special on Amazon, “Small, Dork, and Handsome,” and two podcasts, The Faucet and Broccoli and Ice Cream. His first album, “Vegan Mind Meld,” was one of iTunes’ top 10 comedy albums of the year, and his newest album, “A.K.A.,” debuted at #1. The NY Times called it “invigoratingly funny” and included it among its five “coronavirus best new comedy specials”… “to remind you of the old normal.” And now, here we are in the new weird! Music:Music is Fun – Myq KaplanCalm – Myq KaplanRealistic Love Song – Myq Kaplan Follow Myq Kaplan on Patreon, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Bandcamp. Subscribe (for free or more) to Myq’s Art Nuggets here. Photo of Myq Kaplan by Mindy Tucker with rainbow art by Ramin Nazer. I wish I had raved some more about V-Spot. It’s one of my favorite places in NYC and its owners are magnificent people who contribute so much space and energy to the NYC vegan scene and beyond. You should pay them a visit when you are in NYC. Here’s their website. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Myq Kaplan!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 Central, and a dive into her creative process! Listen below or in your favorite podcast directory! Táhlia Audrí is a native of Charleston, SC. She currently lives and performs in New York City. She is a NYC Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) trained improviser, sketch writer, and is a Company Member for Theatre 99 in Charleston, SC. She is an original cast member of the Comedic Play, Hidden Fences.  She performs improv with Dirty Little Secrets Improv and Comedy People’s Time. She is also a solo performer ranging from Characters to Solo Shows (Piccolo Spoleto). Comedy Music is something she loves to perform as well. Her most recent songs are about food and life in New York City.  Music:I Need a New Oven – Tàhlia AudríPlease Say That You’re Voting – Tàhlia Audrí Find Tàhlia Audrí on Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp, and Twitter.Check out my conversation with Lauren Maul, who introduced us, on MikeyPod 253! This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Táhlia!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 creators of stuff. Music:Legacy (Maxfield Gast Remix) – Kiirstin Marilyn (Kiirstin also appeared on episodes 306 and 260) Follow Lee Uehara on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Photo of Lee Uehara by Angela Gaspar. Learn more about Dr. Eric Wesselmann, who Lee mentioned in the interview, at his Twitter page. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Lee!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 that centers activism around performing arts. Oh, and did I mention that he sits on the board of Voters for Animal Rights? Stewart and I talk about his children’s books, Kayla the Vegan and Liberation Summer and why he thinks it’s important to include children in our advocacy for animals. We also get into the importance of the arts in any kind of activism, and he shares about why he engages in both street and political activism. All in all, this is a great conversation, and no MikeyPod interview with an NYC activist would be complete without hearing a track from Kiirstin Marilyn! Music:The Takers – Kiirstin Marilyn (Kiirstin also appeared on episodes 306 and 260) This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Stewart!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 deeper than a desire to share great music. Indeed, she is connecting communities and cultures all over the globe. This is an absolutely magnificent conversation that I am so proud to shre with you here. A captivating presence on the concert scene, award-winning Israeli-American pianist Yael Weiss has appeared internationally in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall and Moscow’s Bolshoi Hall. Following a recent recital, the Washington Post portrayed her as “a pianist who delves deeply and tellingly into that cloudy area where fantasy morphs into improvisation, inventiveness being common to both.”  Ms. Weiss has won numerous honors, including the Naumburg, Kousciuszko Foundation and Presser prizes. She has presented master classes at top institutions worldwide and served on the faculties of Indiana University and UCSB. Her own teachers included Richard Goode and Leon Fleisher. Music:Unheard Voices (Hindi Naririnig na mga Tinig) by Sidney Marquez Boquiren (Philippines) – Yael WeissNo More Moonlight Over Jakarta by Ananda Sukarlan (Indonesia) – Yael Weiss Follow Yael Weiss on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Yael!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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, and what that has cost both artists and audiences. I’m so excited for you all to hear this! Joseph C. Phillips Jr. has received a Brooklyn Arts Council Arts Fund grant, NewMusic USA project grant, a American Composers Forum Jerome Foundation grant for New Music, a Meet the Composers Creative Connections grant, an American Music Center CAP grant, two Live Music for Dance commission grants, two Puffin Foundation grants, and was a finalist for both the Sundance Institute Film Composers Lab Fellowship and the Opera Company of Philadelphia Composer-in-Residence. Currently Phillips is working on various commissions and new projects including recording his mono-opera The Grey Land, a monoopera exploring universal themes of acceptance, ostracization, authenticity, and identity centered around intractable issues of race, class, and power in American society. The Grey Land was released on November 20, 2020 on New Amsterdam Records. He is also beginning work on 1619, an opera cycle inspired by the 2019 New York Times series The 1619 Project and the 2014 Ta-Nehisi Coates The Atlantic article “The Case for Reparations”.  Music:Ferguson (Summer 2014) – Joseph C. Phillips Jr.I Should Have Been A Motherfucking Black Mamba – Joseph C. Phillips Jr. Follow Joseph C. Phillips Jr. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Get yourself a copy of The Grey Land here on Bandcamp, or streaming anywhere you stream great music. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Joe!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 through obstacles, and, of course, his music. This is an episode not to be missed! As a soloist, collaborator and composer guitarist Mak Grgić has collaborated with The Assad Brothers, violinists Augustin Hadelich, Martin Chalifour, concertmaster of LA Phil, flamenco guitarist Adam del Monte, 11-time Billboard No. 1 pianist Paul Cardall and many more. As an active entrepreneur and educator, Mak is director of several organizations including EuroStrings, the European Guitar Festival Collaborative Network; the Zagreb Guitar Festival; and serves as director of the Elemental Guitar in Santa Monica, a program designed especially for young people. As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, he founded the Virtual Guitar Orchestra, gathering 500 guitarists from more than 50 countries to date. VGO is a community-oriented project, recognized by the Library of Congress for its cultural contributions. Mak is also proud to be involved with the Bosana Foundation, an organization that raises money for Bosnian youth. He regularly awards education-furthering scholarships to select students across South America. Music:Christmas Dreaming – Mak GrgićFantasia No. 6 (Francesco da Milano) – Mak Grgić Follow Mak Grgić on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an extended conversation with Mak!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 about endangered species and wildlife. We talked about her work, what inspired her to start speaking up for animals, and how you are never too young (or too old) to start pursuing your creative dreams! I had an absolute blast talking with Lotus this week, and find myself creatively recharged and inspired! What a perfect first podcast for the new year! Follow Lotus Kay on Instagram and Twitter!Follow Bears for Cares on Instagram and Facebook! This is the last week to get your copy of my limited edition zine, Headphones! Get more information about that project here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an exclusive conversation with Lotus!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 about how Tom’s work makes an effort to heal and move forward through it all. His latest show, Making Friends, is running now online with the IAMA Theater Company, and you should go check it the moment you finish this podcast! Originally from Long Island, Tom DeTrinis came to Los Angeles by way of Buffalo – where he received his BFA in Music Theatre from University at Buffalo. He has been performing on the stage since he was 8 and has been involved in many productions as producer, director and actor, including Found, the Musical, Die, Mommie, Die!, The SantaLand Diaries, 30 Minute Musicals. On screen he can be seen in many titles including 90210, Community, Finding the Asshole Series (Slamdance 2019), and many more. He directed Tom Lenk in Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist (LA, NYC, San Fran, Scotland, London); Ravenswood Manor by Justin Sayre (LA), Happy Birthday Doug by Drew Droege (LA, NYC) and The Midnight Movie Collective with Justin Sayre (online).  Music:Every Night – Walker LukensSeat 16B – Hello Emerson Follow Tom DeTrinis on Twitter and Instagram Don’t miss Finding the Asshole, which we spoke about at the beginning of the show. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast is an exclusive conversation with Tom!  Listen here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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 podcast, and the value of sharing things on stage that most people would never tell a soul. Melinda Hill is an award-winning comedian, actress and writer. Her special and her podcast LET’S PROCESS THIS explore turning trauma into creative treasure by rewriting narratives, and the inspiring journeys of her creative guests who’ve done so. Melinda can be seen in the upcoming romantic comedy Love, Weddings and Other Disasters opposite Diane Keaton and Jeremy Irons, the Emmy and Peabody winning series Adventure Time, Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, as well as appearances on NBC, CBS, FOX, Showtime, Comedy Central’s Reno 911, Sarah Silverman Program and more. Music:Original Face – Bridget Barkan (Check out the video here!) Follow Melinda Hill on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Patreon. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

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-esteem. In today’s conversation we explore her book, Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches, through her own experience as a student and educator. I feel so honored to have been able to talk with Dr. Luckett this week! Sharrell D. Luckett, Ph.D. is an award-winning director, celebrated author, and distinguished professor whose work introduced and defined the field of Black Acting Methods. Luckett is the author or editor/co-editor of five books that span the disciplines of theatre, black studies, performance studies, and fat studies: Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches; Young Gifted and Fat: An Autoethnography of Size, Sexuality, and Privilege; African American Arts: Activism, Aesthetics, and Futurity; Tarell Alvin McCraney: Theater, Performance, and Collaboration; and Transweight: Poems From an Undercover Fat Girl.  Luckett holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is the Director of the Helen Weinberger Center for Drama and Playwriting and a professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Cincinnati, where she also serves as affiliate faculty in the departments of Africana Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is the founding Executive Director of the Black Acting Methods Studio. Music: I Should Have Been A Mother****ing Black Mamba – Numinous (Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Composer)Don’t  – Numinous (Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Composer) Follow Sharrell D. Luckett on InstagramFollow Black Acting Methods on Instagram and Facebook. Order the Acting Theorists poster we discussed in the episode here. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an exclusive conversation, (and recipes!) with Eric!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!

Jill Carnegie serves as Campaign Strategist for the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos, and as a participant in the group’s efforts for a number of years, I have worked closely with Jill in many different capacities. This last year was my first to focus on triage for rescued birds, which gave me a more complete picture of the tremendous amount of work that goes into this rescue year after year. Jill and I discuss the evolution of this work that brings together so many facets of New York City activists, some of our experiences, and go deep into the “why” that keeps her fighting for this cause. If you’d like to contribute to help the 500+ chickens who were rescued this year, you can donate to the GoFundMe, or donate to Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve which took in a number of the birds who needed specialized care this year.Music:Legacy – Kiirstin MarilynEl Rocoto (Live at Tamerlaine Farm) – Lapdog Follow Jill Carnegie on Instagram and TwitterFollow the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.Follow United Poultry Concerns on Twitter and Facebook. This podcast is powered by my subscribers on Patreon who, in addition to the warm feeling they get from co-creating with me, get lots of sweet perks including bonus podcast episodes, free downloads, zines, and more! This week’s bonus podcast will be an exclusive conversation, (and recipes!) with Eric!  Learn more right here! If you’d like to check out my other work, order The Animal Book directly from me here and get a free download of the album!Here are some other places you can find the book.Find The Animal Album streaming and downloadable here.Here’s some more merch and music. Thinking of starting your own podcast? Do it! I’m a big fan of Blubrry for podcast distribution and you can get a month free by signing up for Blubrry Podcast Hosting here, or Blubrry Professional Statistics here. Use the code “mikeypod” with your order for your free month!