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,

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.

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 appearan...

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,

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,

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!

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!