PODCAST · music
Musically Speaking
by Jarrod Richey
Jarrod Richey's Musical Meanderings on music education, church music, hymnody, and more. jarrodrichey.substack.com
Episodes
-
Friday FIVE: October 16 - Imitation as Thankfulness
In 1829, a twenty-year-old Felix Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Berlin and helped awaken a new generation to music that had largely disappeared from public performance. In this episode, I reflect on that remarkable act of musical stewardship, and on the deeper pattern it...
-
Friday FIVE: October 9 - In My Life
On what would have been John Lennon’s 86th birthday, I return to “In My Life,” one of his most reflective songs and one of the great tracks from Rubber Soul. In this episode, I consider the restraint of Lennon’s lyric, George Martin’s iconic keyboard interlude, and the way memory, people, and the...
-
Friday FIVE: October 2 - Suffering and Glory
Reginald Heber’s “The Son of God Goes Forth to War” is a familiar hymn text in many Christian traditions, but one lesser-known setting brings out something different in it. In this episode, I reflect on Leonard Payton’s Dorian setting of the hymn and the way its musical character holds together...
-
Friday FIVE: September 25 - Gone Fishin’
In 1951, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong teamed up for “Gone Fishin’,” and the recording’s charm comes from the fact that they never try to sound alike. Crosby is smooth, relaxed, and conversational. Armstrong is gravelly, flexible, and unmistakably himself. In this episode, I reflect on the...
-
Friday FIVE: September 18 - Chopinesque
Jon Batiste comes from one of New Orleans’ great musical dynasties, not unlike the Marsalis family. He was playing drums in the Batiste Brothers Band at age eight, earned his bachelor’s and master's degrees in jazz at Juilliard, served as bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, won the...
-
Friday FIVE: September 11 - Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber composed his Adagio for Strings in 1936 as an intimate meditation inspired by a passage from Virgil's Aeneid. He did not write it for grief. And yet grief found it. On this 25th anniversary of September 11th, I reflect on how this piece became the unofficial anthem of American...
-
Friday FIVE: September 4 - Morning Mood
On September 4, 1907, Edvard Grieg died in Bergen, Norway, the same city where he was born. 119 years later, his music is still among the most recognized in the classical repertoire. In this episode, I reflect on two pieces from his Peer Gynt suite that could not be more different. In the Hall of...
-
Friday FIVE: August 28 - Farther Along
Dolly Parton passed away this week at the age of 80. In this episode I add to the conversation about her music, hopefully by taking you on some of the backwoods roads rather than the main road of her best known hits. Everybody is doing those right now. Instead I want to point you to the 1987 Trio...
-
Friday FIVE: August 21 - Portrait in Jazz
Everyone knows Kind of Blue. But the pianist at that session, Bill Evans, was quietly developing something extraordinary of his own. In this episode I put the spotlight on Portrait in Jazz, recorded in a single day in December 1959 with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Evans called...
-
Friday FIVE: August 14 - Upside Down
What do Paganini’s dazzling Caprice No. 24 and one of the most beloved melodies ever written have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, I discuss the interesting path from Paganini’s famous violin caprice to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s unforgettable Eighteenth Variation from Rhapsody…
more -
Friday FIVE: August 7 - Little Martha
In the late nineties I came across a compilation called Guitar Fingerstyle: A Narada Collection, and it has never really left my rotation. In this episode I reflect on the opening track, Little Martha, played by Tim Farrell in a solo fingerstyle arrangement of a piece originally written by Duane...
-
Friday FIVE: July 31 - Two Lines in Conversation
Bach wrote his Two-Part Inventions in 1722 and 1723 as teaching pieces for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann, who was twelve years old at the time. Fifteen short pieces, each built from a single musical idea developed through imitation, inversion, and sequence. In an age where most music is built...
-
Friday FIVE: July 24 - More Than a Blues Harp
Most people associate the harmonica with blues, folk, and country music. But in the hands of British virtuoso Philip Achille, the chromatic harmonica becomes something altogether different. In this episode, I reflect on Achille's remarkable performances, from the BBC Proms to the London...
-
Friday FIVE: July 17 - The Children's Voice
The tuneful singing voice of a child is one of the most beautiful and surprising sounds in all of choral music. But you would not always know it from what you hear in many modern settings. In this episode I reflect on what it takes to help young singers find their head voice, why so much popular...
-
Friday FIVE: July 10 - Triple Fiddle & Three-Part Harmony
It is summer, and hopefully your pace is a little more leisurely. This week I recommend a group I have been enjoying and thought you should know about if you do not already. The Quebe Sisters are three sisters from North Texas who play triple fiddle and sing tight three-part harmony in a style…
more -
Friday FIVE: July 3 - Solfege on Parade
In March of 2017, I sat on the second row of the closing concert of the OAKE National Conference in Philadelphia with my friend and mentor Lamar Robertson. The American Boychoir, under director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, closed the program with Stars and Stripes Forever, sung entirely on solfege,...
-
Friday FIVE: June 26 - Real Harmony
This week's episode comes from Atlanta, Georgia, where I am attending the Repairing the Ruins conference, the annual gathering of the Association of Classical Christian Schools. After nine years of leading morning singing in the Grand Ballroom for over a thousand classical Christian educators, I...
-
Friday FIVE: June 19 - Bethena, A Concert Waltz
Scott Joplin gave America the Maple Leaf Rag and the Entertainer. But in 1905, grieving the death of his wife of ten weeks, he wrote something entirely different. Bethena is a concert waltz, marked cantabile, wistful and searching in ways ragtime was never supposed to be. In this episode, I…
more -
Friday FIVE: June 12 - Straighten Up & Fly Right
Nat King Cole’s first major commercial hit came from an unlikely source, his father’s pulpit. In this episode, I reflect on the story behind Straighten Up and Fly Right, the folk fable at its heart, and what made the King Cole Trio so distinctive. Along the way, I share a few of my favorite Cole...
-
Friday FIVE: June 5 - Another Lens on Beethoven
A few years ago, a friend told me I needed to hear Trio X of Sweden. He was right. In this episode, I reflect on this Swedish improvisational trio and their remarkable reinterpretations of Beethoven, Schumann, sacred music, and more. When they take on the Moonlight Sonata, it is not novelty or...
-
Friday FIVE: May 29 - Someone Had to Write It
As America approaches its semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, composer and pianist Stephen Limbaugh decided the occasion deserved more than a theme song. In this episode, I reflect on his America 250 Symphony, a full four-movement, 28-minute orchestral work documented in real time over two years…
more -
Friday FIVE: May 22 - The Oratorio Before Elijah
On May 22, 1836, Felix Mendelssohn premiered his oratorio St. Paul in Düsseldorf to immediate acclaim. One hundred and ninety years later, one chorus from it still stops people in their tracks. In this episode, I reflect on what made St. Paul significant in his time, what How Lovely Are the...
-
Friday FIVE Revisited: March 28 - A Place in the Choir
This week’s episode briefly discusses the role of the choir when it comes to congregational singing in worship. The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features five minutes of music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Richey. This is…
more -
Friday FIVE: May 8 - The Hymnal as Teacher
For generations, church hymnals did more than preserve songs. They quietly taught ordinary people how to read music. A passing remark from country singer Ella Langley sparked this one, and this episode explores how the act of singing from the page, week after week, formed musical instincts most...
-
Friday FIVE: May 1 - Two Minds, One Harmony
On May 1, 1786, Mozart conducted the world premiere of The Marriage of Figaro in Vienna. 240 years later, it remains one of the most performed operas on earth. In this episode, I reflect on what made Mozart’s approach to opera revolutionary: music so precisely tailored to each character that you...
-
Friday FIVE: April 24 - Breath and Pipes
In this episode, I reflect on why the pipe organ shaped Christian worship for centuries and what it still teaches us today. From Mozart’s description of it as “the king of the instruments” to its role in strengthening congregational singing, the organ models corporate worship: many voices unified...
-
Friday FIVE: April 17 - Colm Wilkinson as Valjean
Colm Wilkinson’s Jean Valjean remains one of the defining performances of Les Misérables. In this episode, we listen to three moments from the 10th Anniversary Concert to hear how the grain and color of his voice reveal moral tension, resolve, and prayer. It’s a masterful example of vocal command...
-
Friday FIVE: April 10 - This Joyful Eastertide
Easter is not just a day. It is a season. In this episode, I reflect on This Joyful Eastertide, a resurrection hymn set to a 1624 Dutch tune. With its bold proclamation of bodily hope and a refrain that climbs higher with each “arisen,” the music does more than accompany the text — it enacts it....
-
Friday FIVE: April 3 - Hope in the Passion
On Good Friday, hope can seem out of place. Yet after hearing Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Tokyo, Japan, audiences often ask conductor Masaaki Suzuki to explain what “hope” means in the Christian sense. In this episode, I reflect on how Bach’s music carries the logic of death and resurrection...
-
Friday FIVE: March 27 - Directions for Singing
We tend to think of hymnals as collections of church songs. But they once taught people how to sing. In 1761, John Wesley included seven “Directions for Singing” in his Methodist hymnal. They are not suggestions. They are instructions. Sing all. Sing in time. Sing modestly. Sing lustily and with…
more -
Friday FIVE: March 20 - Colors of the Voice
Two singers can sing the same note, yet we instantly know who it is. Why? Because before we hear melody, we hear tone. In this week’s Friday Five, we explore the colors of the human voice — bright and dark, nasal and warm, gritty and clear. Through a few rapid contrasts, we consider how tone…
more -
Friday FIVE: March 13 - Strange Praise
On this “on location” episode from a cabin in Branson, Missouri, I reflect on one of the most unusual and powerful choral works of the twentieth century: “Rejoice in the Lamb” by Benjamin Britten. Drawing from the eccentric and deeply devotional poem Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart, written in...
-
Friday FIVE: March 6 - Love Unknown
No dialogue. Just four minutes of music — and an entire marriage. In this episode, I reflect on Michael Giacchino’s “Married Life” from Up and how music functions as narrator. Through melody, orchestration, and tempo, the score carries decades of joy and sorrow without a single word. Music does…
more -
Friday FIVE: February 27 - Music As Narrator
No dialogue. Just four minutes of music — and an entire marriage. In this episode, I reflect on Michael Giacchino’s “Married Life” from Up and how music functions as narrator. Through melody, orchestration, and tempo, the score carries decades of joy and sorrow without a single word. Music does…
more -
Friday FIVE: February 20 - Singing to One Another
In this episode I ask a simple question: when you sing in worship, who are you singing to? Drawing on Paul Munson’s helpful framework, I reflect on three audiences that show up in Scripture, especially in the Psalms and in Paul’s epistles: sometimes we sing to our own souls, always we sing to…
more -
Training Our Musical Loves
In this bonus longform episode of Musically Speaking, I sit down with Maestro John Mason Hodges, music director of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra and founder of the Center for Western Studies, for a wide-ranging conversation about music, meaning, and maturity. Maestro Hodges also teaches for us at...
-
Friday FIVE: February 13 - The Voice of Bryn Terfel
In this episode, I introduce listeners to the Welsh bass/baritone Bryn Terfel, a singer whose career has spanned the world’s great opera houses while also reaching audiences through concerts, recordings, and broadcasts far beyond them. I offer three observations about what makes his artistry so...
-
Friday FIVE: February 6 - Scoring the Big Moments
As the Winter Olympics begin, I reflect on the music of John Williams and how his work has come to define some of our most recognizable public moments. While he is best known for film scores, Williams’s music reaches far beyond the cinema into television, football broadcasts, and Olympic...
-
Friday FIVE: January 30 - Songs for Slower Days
In this episode, I share a handful of musical recommendations centered around Joshua Lee Turner and Carson McKee, musicians I first discovered during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning with their delightful banjo and guitar cover of ABBA’s “Mamma Mia,” I reflect on what drew me…
more -
Friday FIVE: January 23 - Why Silence Matters
In this episode I reflect on silence, not as the absence of sound, but as an active and necessary partner to music. Drawing on musical examples like rests, cadences, and communal pauses before and after singing, I consider how silence shapes meaning, gives weight to words, and trains our…
more -
Friday FIVE: January 16 - Saturday Morning Symphony
In this week's episode, I reflect on how many of us were quietly introduced to orchestral music through cartoons long before we ever set foot in a concert hall. From Tom and Jerry to Looney Tunes, familiar animated worlds trained our ears to recognize musical gesture, drama, and beauty. This...
-
Friday FIVE: January 9 - The Burrs of Music
In this episode, I reflect on why lyrics tend to stay with us when they are sung, but often fade when they are merely spoken. From familiar popular songs to Scripture memory projects, I consider how melody binds words to memory and shapes how those words live inside us. With examples from…
more -
Why Truth Fails Without Beauty
What happens when truth is communicated without beauty? In this bonus episode of Musically Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Scott Aniol to argue that beauty is not an optional accessory to truth, but the means by which truth is perceived, embodied, and lived. Drawing from theology, philosophy, and…
more -
Friday FIVE: January 2 - Auld Lang Syne
In this episode, recorded in the first days of the new year and still within the twelve days of Christmas, I reflect on the meaning of Auld Lang Syne. Tracing its roots in the poetry of Robert Burns, I consider how this simple and enduring song gives us words for memory, friendship, gratitude…
more -
Friday FIVE: December 26 - December Turned to May
In this episode, I consider the quiet richness of the days that follow Christmas and why the season is worth more than one day. Drawing on Robert Herrick’s Christmas Carol poem, I invite the listener to make room in their mind and heart for the joy that continues beyond December 25. The Friday…
more -
Christmas Eve Mini-Episode
Merry Christmas Eve - Bonus Mini-Episode This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodrichey.substack.com
-
Friday FIVE: December 19 - The Sacrament of Song
In this episode, we reflect on singing as a communal act that forms us in ways private listening cannot. Drawing on recent performances by my Delta Youth Chorale and Geneva Academy students, we consider how making music together binds singers and listeners alike, especially during Advent and...
-
Friday FIVE: December 12 - How a Psalm Became a Carol
This episode looks at how a paraphrase of Psalm 98, written centuries ago without a single reference to Bethlehem or the Nativity, found its way into the heart of the Christmas season. From Isaac Watts’s text to the lively tune that echoes Handel’s style, we explore the surprising journey that...
-
Friday FIVE: December 5 - Jingle All the Way
This week’s Friday Five features a recommendation of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones’ Christmas album Jingle All the Way. From a jazz-infused take on Jingle Bells and Linus and Lucy to a stunning twelve-key, twelve-meter setting of The Twelve Days of Christmas, this album offers a playful and...
-
Friday FIVE: November 28 - You Are What You Sing
This week we look at how a musical diet shapes musical desires and how teaching students to read music frees them to participate rather than just consume. Featuring recordings from Geneva Academy’s ninth and tenth grade musicianship class, this episode explores why Renaissance polyphony, music...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Jarrod Richey's Musical Meanderings on music education, church music, hymnody, and more.
jarrodrichey.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Jarrod Richey
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Musically Speaking have?
Musically Speaking currently has 104 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Musically Speaking about?
Jarrod Richey's Musical Meanderings on music education, church music, hymnody, and more. jarrodrichey.substack.com
How often does Musically Speaking release new episodes?
Musically Speaking publishes regularly with 104 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Musically Speaking?
You can listen to Musically Speaking on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Musically Speaking?
Musically Speaking is created and hosted by Jarrod Richey.
URL copied to clipboard!