‘Wide-ranging and insightful’ - Guardian (pick of the week, January 2024)
A show for anyone who has ever listened to, played, improvised, written, or just enjoyed music and wanted to know more about these mysterious sounds. Are they 'auditory cheesecake' as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker claims, or actually a fundamental part of what has made us into modern humans?
With an enormous variety of guests ranging from well-known musicians, producers and industry figures through to those for whom music is central but who rarely have a voice, this show is unapologetically broad in scope.
In 'entertaining noises', Steve has musicians explain and demonstrate their instrument, giving fresh perspective on everything from the piano to modular synthesizers, via lesser-known folk instruments from around the world.
And in the flagship 'genre tombola' section, Steve is assigned a randomly-chosen genre from the list of 1334 music genres on Wikipedia, which he then goes away and researches, often talking to an expert in that music, before frequently attempting to make some music in that style... Whether he succeeds or not, there's lots of fascinating stuff to learn along the way!
As fun as it is thoughtful, this show aims to help you hear and appreciate music in new ways.
http://www.originofthepieces.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘Wide-ranging and insightful’ - Guardian (pick of the week, January 2024)
A show for anyone who has ever listened to, played, improvised, written, or just enjoyed music and wanted to know more about these mysterious sounds. Are they 'auditory cheesecake' as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker claims, or actually a fundamental part of what has made us into modern humans?
With an enormous variety of guests ranging from well-known musicians, producers and industry figures through to those for whom music is central but who rarely have a voice, this show is unapologetically broad in scope.
In 'entertaining noises', Steve has musicians explain and demonstrate their instrument, giving fresh perspective on everything from the piano to modular synthesizers, via lesser-known folk instruments from around the world.
And in the flagship 'genre tombola' section, Steve is assigned a randomly-chosen genre from the list of 1334 music genres on Wikipedia, which he then goes away and researches, often talking to an expert in that music, before frequently attempting to make some music in that style... Whether he succeeds or not, there's lots of fascinating stuff to learn along the way!
As fun as it is thoughtful, this show aims to help you hear and appreciate music in new ways.
http://www.originofthepieces.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From living-room experiments to Malawian street stages — and a brief stop-off in Transylvania.
This week, Steve explores what it means to sing what you see: making music that’s spontaneous, handmade and gloriously human. There’s a Halloween detour into his live Nosferatu score, a new Clip n Mix, and a look at the brilliant Madalitso Band from Malawi — two musicians whose home-built instruments and hypnotic grooves turn simplicity into joy.
Plus: the mystery of a slightly windy theme tune proves that accidents can be the best kind of inspiration.
👇 Full timestamps + links below!
00:00 – A suspiciously familiar theme
02:30 – Living-room experiments & musical accidents
06:40 – Clip n Mix – turning everyday sounds into music
10:45 – Vampire Vamps: Nosferatu score (watch)
16:30 – Introducing Madalitso Band (Malawi)
22:00 – Homemade instruments & street recordings
32:00 – Singing what you see
44:30 – Finding beauty in simple sounds
55:20 – Wilton’s shows, Patreon & Universe of Music tour
🎧 Listen / Watch
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | More platforms
🎬 Nosferatu live score → Full video
🎛 Support / Extras → Patreon
🪐 Universe of Music Tour (with Chris Lintott)
Corsham (20 Nov) | Cambridge (27 Nov) | Shoreham-by-Sea (15 Jan)
🎟 Full info → universeofmusic.co.uk
🎟️ Live at Wilton’s Music Hall – 24 Jan 2026
👨👩👧👦 KIDS matinee (2 pm) – interactive family show
🌙 Evening show (7 pm) – live podcast with guests & musical surprises
💸 Code SPRETTY15 = £15 best available seats
💬 Got a weird sound you’d like Steve to turn into music? Email podcast@stevepretty.com or comment with #ClipnMix.
🙌 Like, subscribe & stay musically curious.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.