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 performa...

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 cl...

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...

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...

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 relatio...

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 Histor...

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 eff...

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 Dr...

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...

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!

Christopher Willits is a pioneering composer, guitarist, producer, visual artist, and co-founder...

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 ar...

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...

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, musi...

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...

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 Ber...

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-fo...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 gr...

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 introdu...

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 fro...

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...

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...

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 specia...

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 activi...

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’...

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...

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 yo...

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...

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...

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 perform...

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 produc...

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 credi...

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 sha...

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 un...

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 Klei...

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...

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 perfo...