Best Variation Podcasts (2024)

1
Songs About Science 48:24

1y ago48:24

48:24

"An energetic and scholastic throwback theme, a captivating piece of experimental sound art, and an alt rock ode to one of humanity's most celebrated minds.." What does one of Martin's favorite '90s cartoons have in common with a creative genius in the world of sound art? What's the shared link between Frasier, Philip Glass, and the Counting Crows?…

1
Cathartic Songs 48:22

1y ago48:22

48:22

"The quintessential cover of a song that yearns for transformation, the ultimate anthem of self-reflection, and a number full of nuance that gets me every. single. time..." In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, I (your stalwart podcast shepherd, Mahea Lee) am joined by magnificent musician and occasional co-host Jeremy Young as well as sin…

1
Songs With Limitations 50:18

1y ago50:18

50:18

"A composition created in the dark. A vocal piece destined to become a new kind of anthem. And quite possibly the most authentic song in the history of rock..." In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, our podcast panelists share their takes on the theme "Songs With Limitations." This time around, I (your humble host, Mahea Lee) am joined by …

1
Fight Songs 46:09

1y ago46:09

46:09

Follow us on Twitter to keep up with podcast news and join in on the conversation! An aptly named number from a bombastic legend of the upright bass… A rage filled rallying cry echoing the emotions of the masses… And an orchestral tapestry filled with elaborate symbolism, in spite of being loathed by its creator… In the latest episode of Themes and…

1
Comeback Songs 42:14

1y ago42:14

42:14

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. The long-awaited return of one of the most legendary names in neo soul… The reflective resurrection of a beloved rock god… And the redemption remix of an artist who rose like a phoenix from the ashes of musical virality… Themes and Variation is back with our first episode of the new season: "Comeback Son…

1
Themes and Variation Returns on August 30th! 1:55

1y ago1:55

1:55

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. Hey folks, Mahea Lee here and I'm excited to let you know that Themes and Variation will be returning on Wednesday, August 30th, but this time around I'll be playing host. Just like always, each episode will be centered around a theme, like "Songs You Know By Heart" or "Apocalypse Songs." Each episode wi…

1
Songs of the Year 2022 55:37

2y ago55:37

55:37

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There was no shortage of excellent new music in 2022 and given how quickly the year's gone by, many of us have some serious catching up to do. Luckily, the latest episode of our podcast has arrived to help out. For this one, Carter and Mahea were joined by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR members of…

1
Theme Songs ( with Tangelene Bolton) 41:48

2y ago41:48

41:48

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There's something wonderful and maybe even a little mystifying about a good theme song. A few familiar notes can serve as a cue to sit back, break from ordinary life, and enter new worlds and realities through the stories that splash across our screens. An iconic theme may even become a sort of character…

1
The Most Played Song on My Phone (with Dominique Marie) 54:34

2y ago54:34

54:34

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. We had a tough time settling on the exact wording for this theme. Personally, we think that has a lot to do with the fact that, as babies of the late '80s, the members of our podcast team have listened to music via many different means. When compared to tape decks, Walkmans (Walkmen?), CD drives, and rec…

1
Songs That Got Me Into Scoring (with Drum & Lace and Ian Hultquist) 44:04

2y ago44:04

44:04

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. Do you remember the first time you were really aware of the music in a movie or TV show? Maybe you heard a swell of strings or an eerie synth line and looked down to see that the hairs on your arm were standing on end. Maybe you noticed that a certain character kept appearing right after a particular mel…

1
Songs That Say So Much (with Laura Lizcano) 53:46

2y ago53:46

53:46

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. One of the things I love most about music is its seemingly mystical ability to articulate things that cannot be expressed through words alone. There are times when the combination of poetry and melody forms a unique and powerful language audiences can immediately comprehend. In other cases, an instrument…

1
Songs That Lived Beyond the Film (with Ian Temple) 49:08

2y ago49:08

49:08

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. "A good theme — like the 'Pink Panther' or 'Baby Elephant Walk' — can work all the way through the picture, which is what I did with them. So, for me, a good melody is not just a pretty tune." – Henry Mancini Music's presence in a film or television show can completely transform the audience experience. …

1
Short Songs (with Tasha Solomita) 49:02

2y ago49:02

49:02

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There's something pretty wonderful about a piece of music that says everything it means to in under two minutes — a piece that somehow satisfies its listeners while managing to leave them wanting more. There's also something great about a highly-recognizable song that addresses a specific category of lei…

1
Songs That Are Impossible to Cover (with Redah) 47:54

2y ago47:54

47:54

Some tracks are so memorable and monumental that it's hard to imagine other versions of the material. It can be because of the presence of a truly iconic artist, a particularly unique set of recording circumstances, or the sheer fact that the performance happened in a moment that will never come again. In this episode of Themes and Variation, Carte…

1
Odd Time Songs (with Joey Lefitz) 56:26

2y ago56:26

56:26

Time signatures are an interesting and arguably necessary part of our musical language. They provide the grid against which we place rhythmic values and ideas, letting us know each time "1" comes back around as we count along. They are, at least in part, responsible for the feel of a piece of music. They each come with expectations — 3/4 is often i…

1
50 53:20

2y ago53:20

53:20

We launched the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation back in the summer of 2020. Since then we've chatted with all sorts of musicians and music lovers about songs related to themes like "Songs From the First Album You Ever Bought" (episode 1), "Songs That Are Incredibly Clever (episode 15), and "Songs That Aren't for the Faint of Heart" (episode …

1
Songs I Wish I'd Written (with Sulene van der Walt) 58:05

2+ y ago58:05

58:05

Have you ever heard a song so good you didn't just admire the writer, but also envied the fact that they came up with it? In the most recent episode of the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by pop artist and multi-instrumentalist, Sulene van der Walt to discuss the theme "Songs I Wish I'd Written." This time around…

1
Songs That Defy Expectations (with Ryan Lott) 53:54

2+ y ago53:54

53:54

To paraphrase the words of our special guest for this week's episode of the podcast, the most powerful songs are often the ones that both meet and challenge our expectations of music. Because of years of conditioning and generations of artistic traditions, we tend to make a lot of assumptions as listeners. We can't help but expect songs to more or …

1
Songs You Prefer to Listen to Alone (with Adam Claus) 56:17

2+ y ago56:17

56:17

Whether you're longing for seventeen uninterrupted minutes of audible bliss, a chance to cling to an interpretation of an instrumental's narrative, or a way to savor the intimacy hidden in a crowd favorite, there are some songs that are best listened to on your own. In the latest episode of Soundfly's podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea…

1
Air Guitar Songs (with Dre DiMura) 53:50

2+ y ago53:50

53:50

Few instrumentalists can make a listener involuntarily mimic their performance like a guitarist. With soaring solos and raucous riffs, the guitar has often been the imaginary instrument of wannabe rockstars. In the latest episode of Themes, our panel digs deep into three songs that epitomize the term "air guitar". And we have the perfect guest in D…

1
Songs That Offer Bad Advice (with Max Alper) 50:36

2+ y ago50:36

50:36

There are songs we keep close to our hearts because of the undeniable wisdom they offer. We hum them to ourselves during stressful moments and think of their lyrics as the "words to live by" that carry us through tough times. Then again, there are songs that contain advice that's a little more questionable, and while we wouldn't recommend turning i…

1
Songs You've Heard Too Many Times 47:55

2+ y ago47:55

47:55

When it comes to music, it's sometimes easy to get too much of a good (or not-so-good) thing. Whether you're a wedding band musician who's sick of the same requests or roommate to someone who seems to own just one album, there are likely a few songs you feel you don't ever want to hear again. For the latest episode of Soundfly's podcast, Themes and…

1
Songs to Escape Into (with Com Truise) 1:00:58

2+ y ago1:00:58

1:00:58

At Soundfly, we're constantly exploring ways to understand and explain the practical aspects of music, but we can't deny that aspects of it can be wonderfully inexplicable. Music can say things that can't be articulated through any other medium. It can conjure empathy between strangers. In a sense, it can even transport us from one reality to anoth…

1
Songs That Redefined Our Sense of Time (with Jlin) 53:11

2+ y ago53:11

53:11

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Rhythm, groove, beat, tempo... So many musical ideas are intrinsically linked to the way we perceive time. A part locked tightly to an eighth-note grid has an entirely different feel than one that lays just a bit behind the beat. Music's relationship to time can impact the way we physically mov…

1
Songs That Defined an Experience (with Jessi Lee) 47:01

2+ y ago47:01

47:01

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! At first glance, "Songs That Define an Experience" seems simple and almost straightforward when compared to some of the more intentionally ambiguous themes we've used on the Soundfly podcast (like "Epic Songs" or "Mysterious Songs"). However, it ended up being trickier than expected, with every…

1
Songs That Aren't for the Faint of Heart (with Christina Apostolopoulos) 50:12

2+ y ago50:12

50:12

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The latest episode of T&V is all about "Songs That Aren't for the Faint of Heart." This theme almost immediately became one of our favorites, but what does it mean to you? And what would you add to a community playlist that isn't for the faint of heart? Maybe your pick would be the sort of angs…

1
Songs to Listen to When You're Alone in a Crowd (with Fadi Tabbal) 47:41

2+ y ago47:41

47:41

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Imagine for a moment that you're on your own, but in a crowd. Maybe you're seated on a bus alongside others who are also making the journey from work to home. Perhaps you're walking down a busy street, and you find an unexpected moment of tranquility as you bend down to tie the laces of a well-…

1
Breakup Songs (with Marcela Rada) 40:06

2+ y ago40:06

40:06

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Whether facing the aftermath of a flash in the pan fling or the desolation that follows the the ending of a lifetime's truest love, there are certain songs worth turning to when in need of emotional catharsis. While it won't necessarily heal all wounds, music can reinvigorate a sense of hopeful…

1
Alter Ego Songs (with Jeremy Young) 56:13

2+ y ago56:13

56:13

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! A clever way to credit one of the most joyful giants of jazz, a legendary hip-hop alias inspired by The Art of War, and a mind-bending backstory to go with a country star's pseudonym — these are some of the things covered by the podcast panel in the latest episode of Themes and Variation. For t…

1
Songs From the Imminent Past (with Martin Fowler) 46:19

3y ago46:19

46:19

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The oxymoronic theme "Songs From the Imminent Past" was first suggested as a bit of a joke, but the more we thought about it, the more we succumbed to it, and well, here we are! For our podcast's first episode of 2022, we dove into a set of songs that has us thinking hard about the both the rec…

1
Songs Revisited (Holiday Special!) 25:50

3y ago25:50

25:50

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! In 2021, our podcast released 24 episodes, each of which was centered around a musical theme. Some of the themes were pretty clear cut (like "Songs That Used Found Sounds" or "Dilla Songs"), while others were more abstract (like "Whimsical Songs" or "Mysterious Songs"), but they were all up for…

1
One-Hit Wonder Songs (with Lina Farah) 55:25

3y ago55:25

55:25

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The term "one-hit wonder" evokes a certain notion of failure. It implies that the artists that get slapped with that label could never follow up the song that made them global sensations. The truth is, getting even just a single hit is a monumental achievement, and these hits were so big that t…

1
Songs to Wake Up To (with Sarah Galdes) 49:39

3y ago49:39

49:39

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Whether you consider yourself a morning person or not, the first thing you listen to can sometimes set the tone for the rest of your day. So what kind of song do you prefer to wake up to — something with a strong backbeat to shake you from your slumber or a tune with a gentle build to ease the …

1
Songs That Groove (with Efa Etoroma Jr.) 48:14

3y ago48:14

48:14

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The concept of "groove" can be hard to pin down. That single word alludes to the rhythmic character of a composition, the feeling with which performers play their parts, and a certain ineffable something that catches the ear and sinks right into a listener's core. Creating something that sits r…

1
Songs I'm Embarrassed to Admit I Love (with Lavender Looi) 42:46

3y ago42:46

42:46

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! While we may not believe anyone should truly be ashamed of their taste in music, most of us have been in a situation where we felt the need to explain why a particular song was part of our music collection. Call it shame or guilty pleasure, but there are tracks we quietly enjoy, while convincin…

1
Gateway Jazz Songs (with Peter Martin) 49:29

3y ago49:29

49:29

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! As an art form, jazz can be passionate or mesmerizing, spontaneous or calculated, inviting or intimidating. It's a unique genre of music, in that it is somehow perceived to be both inclusive and exclusive. For some, it is little more than the soundtrack of their holiday shopping trips, but for …

1
Songs You Can Recognize in the First Five Seconds (with Brian Funk) 54:30

3y ago54:30

54:30

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are certain songs we recognize almost instantly. Sometimes it's because of a particular lick in the intro. Then again, it could be the use of an incredibly unique sound or instrument. And, of course, there are some songs that quickly ring a bell because of our personal connections to them…

1
Songs That Do Something Incorrectly (with Lora-Faye Åshuvud) 48:19

3y ago48:19

48:19

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Some of the best moments in music are the ones that defy expectations, breaking from conventional "rules" in pursuit of something unique or unpredictable. These are often the instances that catch our ears, leaving us wondering what just happened and how those artists got away with something you…

1
Songs That Made Me Want to Study Music (with Ethan Hein) 42:15

3y ago42:15

42:15

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are so many ways to "study music." You can do it by sitting down to practice your instrument, enrolling in a course online or in-person, or even breaking down a piece that you love in the context of a podcast you just so happen to host. For our first-ever livestreamed taping, Mahea and Ca…

1
Songs That Are an Emotional Journey (with Max Swan) 54:57

3y ago54:57

54:57

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Most music can heighten moods and toy with feelings, but what does it take for a song to truly send a listener on an emotional journey? Does it have to do with the instrumentation? What about the form, or the harmony? Does said journey need to feel like a rollercoaster of ups and downs, or can …

1
Sample Fodder Songs (with RJD2) 1:04:53

3+ y ago1:04:53

1:04:53

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! So what does it mean to do something truly amazing with a snippet of sound you've pulled from an existing song? And why have certain songs been sampled so many times? We dig into these questions and more in the latest episode of Themes and Variation, "Sample Fodder Songs." For the 25th episode …

1
Ep. 36 | Interview with Jill Dailey 56:23

3+ y ago56:23

56:23

The Dailey Method franchise founder Jill Dailey joins Michelle on the podcast this month to talk about her start in movement, her exploration in the Pilates world, her national barre franchise, and becoming a parent through it all. Jill explains the philosophy behind her alignment-focused barre method and how it has evolved over the last twenty yea…

1
Songs with Commonly Misheard Lyrics (with Joseph Capalbo) 43:07

3+ y ago43:07

43:07

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Have you ever found yourself singing along to a hit song at the top of your lungs, thinking "that can't be the line, can it?" It's a pretty common experience — one that typically ends with a shrug of the shoulders as you take in a deep breath in preparation for the next verse. If the melody's g…

1
Songs From Video Games (with Zac Zinger and Chase Bethea) 50:29

3+ y ago50:29

50:29

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! What comes to mind when you hear the words "video game music?" Is it a vibrant series of retro-sounding bloops and bleeps a la our favorite princess-saving plumber, or a rich, orchestral landscape that might accompany an assassin exploring an open world? Making music for video games presents an…

1
Rainy Day Songs (with Euan Gray) 41:12

3+ y ago41:12

41:12

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! There are certain songs that seem perfectly suited for stormy skies and drizzly days. In some cases, this can be attributed to sentimental lyrics, while in others, it's more about an incessant rhythmic figure or the presence of an instrument with a particularly delicate sound. Whatever the reas…

1
Ep. 35 | Interview with Fred DeVito & Elisabeth Halfpapp 47:54

3+ y ago47:54

47:54

This month’s episode is an exciting one to say the least. Michelle interviews legends of the barre fitness industry, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito. Michelle learns how the two of them first met and how their focus on the future helped them build a life together. Elisabeth was one of the first Lotte Berk Method teachers in the United States and…

1
Boy Band Songs (with Martin Fowler) 46:30

3+ y ago46:30

46:30

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! In celebration of our new course, The Music of Boy Bands, we dedicated an entire episode of the podcast to some of music history’s favorite heartthrobs. After all, despite the inarguable commercial success of groups like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, boy band music has rarely been given the a…

1
Ep. 34 | Interview with Michelle DuVall 1:00:39

3+ y ago1:00:39

1:00:39

The tables are turned in this episode and Michelle is in the hot seat. Michelle DuVall is interviewed by Barre Variations Video Library guest teacher and founder of Barre Where You Are, Heather Johnson. They discuss how Michelle got her start in the fitness industry and the journey she's had up to now. The Barre Variations community submitted quest…

1
Episode 21 Preview (Boy Band Songs) 2:43

3+ y ago2:43

2:43

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! The one where Carter shares some exciting news... Check out all of our courses including Modern Pop Vocal Production here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off! And check out our free Themes and Variation companion course for writing prompts and…

1
Ep. 33 | Interview with Jenny Niggle 1:06:37

3+ y ago1:06:37

1:06:37

This episode Michelle is joined by Barre Variations Video Library guest teacher Jenny Niggle. Jenny is a professional dancer, ballet teacher, and hosts her signature ballet barre fitness classes ‘Body by Jenny.’ Since the pandemic she has shifted her classes to a virtual studio like many others. Michelle and Jenny discuss their shared experience of…

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