MikeyPod

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...

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 perform...

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 ...

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...

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 So...

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...

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, an...

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 co...

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...

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 thi...

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 i...

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 interv...

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 cr...

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. Wh...

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.

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 ...