Best Michael Harren Podcasts (2024)

1
MikeyPod 355 | Pianist Sophia Subbayya Vastek 41:16

1+ y ago41:16

41:16

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 Subb…

1
MikeyPod 354 | Composer Molly Joyce 41:38

1+ y ago41:38

41:38

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 l…

1
MikeyPod 353 | Playwright Martyna Majok 34:51

1+ y ago34:51

34:51

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 fr…

1
MikeyPod 352 | Interdisciplinary Sound Artist Brian Harnetty 59:44

1+ y ago59:44

59:44

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 …

1
MikeyPod 351 | Musician Christopher Willits 1:05:16

1+ y ago1:05:16

1:05:16

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 b…

1
MikeyPod 350 | Musician Caroline Weinroth of Cinema Hearts 40:19

2y ago40:19

40:19

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…

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MikeyPod 349 | Composer-Performer Sugar Vendil 38:30

2y ago38:30

38:30

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 artist…

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MikeyPod 348 | Filmmaker Lavinia Jones Wright 31:54

2y ago31:54

31:54

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,…

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MikeyPod 347 | Author and Musician Lotus Kay 34:18

2y ago34:18

34:18

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 th…

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MikeyPod 346 | Comedian Annick Adelle 29:24

2y ago29:24

29:24

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 li…

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Mikeypod 345 | Author and Small Potato Ayun Halliday 39:13

2y ago39:13

39:13

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 ……

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MikeyPod 344 | The Living Earth Show 47:41

2y ago47:41

47:41

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, ……

1
MikeyPod 343 | Author and Filmmaker Miasha 24:32

2y ago24:32

24:32

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 ……

1
MikeyPod 342 | Choral Arts Initiative Founder Brandon Elliott 32:04

2y ago32:04

32:04

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 ……

1
MikeyPod 341 | Harpist Emily Levin 29:36

2+ y ago29:36

29:36

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 in…

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MikeyPod 340 | Musician and Podcaster Jack Stafford 48:07

2+ y ago48:07

48:07

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 ……

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MikeyPod 339 | Comedian and Musician Ian Lockwood 42:20

2+ y ago42:20

42:20

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 …By Michael Harren

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MikeyPod 338 | Filmmaker Shaina Feinberg 32:40

2+ y ago32:40

32:40

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) ……

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MikeyPod 337 | Author and Musician Maria Konnor 41:55

2+ y ago41:55

41:55

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 ……

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MikeyPod 336 | The Violin Channel’s Geoffrey John Davies 31:24

3y ago31:24

31:24

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 ……

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MikeyPod 335 | Musician and Archivist Dr. Louise Toppin 43:03

3y ago43:03

43:03

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 ……

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MikeyPod 334 | Musician and Activist Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake 45:10

3y ago45:10

45:10

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 ……

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MikeyPod 333 | Author and Publisher Martin Rowe 30:40

3y ago30:40

30:40

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 ……

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MikeyPod 332 | Musician Christian Douglas 45:53

3y ago45:53

45:53

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 ……

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MikeyPod 331 | Author Gabrielle Alexa Noel 26:16

3y ago26:16

26:16

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 …By Michael Harren

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MikeyPod 330 | Author Nevo Zisin 47:18

3y ago47:18

47:18

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 ……

1
MikeyPod 329 | Edward Button and The King’s Singers 25:08

3y ago25:08

25:08

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 ……

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MikeyPod 328 | Musician Michael Zapruder 38:11

3y ago38:11

38:11

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…

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MikeyPod 327 | Writer and Performer Julie Piñero 36:08

3y ago36:08

36:08

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 ……

1
MikeyPod 326 | Writer and Performer Sheila Carrasco 37:14

3y ago37:14

37:14

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 ……

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MikeyPod 325 | Composer Daniel Bernard Roumain 46:58

3+ y ago46:58

46:58

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 ……

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MikeyPod 324 | Writer and Performer Anna LaMadrid 30:34

3+ y ago30:34

30:34

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 ……

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MikeyPod 323 | Dark Synth-Pop Duo PIERA 38:38

3+ y ago38:38

38:38

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 ……

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MikeyPod 322 | Comedian Myq Kaplan 1:00:00

3+ y ago1:00:00

1:00:00

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 …By Michael Harren

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MikeyPod 321 | Writer and Performer Táhlia Audrí 39:24

3+ y ago39:24

39:24

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 ……

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MikeyPod 320 | Podcaster Lee Uehara 41:46

3+ y ago41:46

41:46

I first encountered Lee Uehara as the founder of NYC Podcasters Network, but soon discovered she also founded Asian American Podcasters Association, and of course hosts her own podcasts House of Lee NYC and Upper West Side Corner Talk. We talk about what drew her to podcasting, the importance of building community, and some ideas ……

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MikeyPod 319 | Author and Activist Stewart Mitchell 32:32

3+ y ago32:32

32:32

I have followed Stewart Mitchell‘s activism and social media presence for quite a while now and been inspired by his seemingly tireless energy to show up for human and non-human rights. Then, I realized that he is an author with two books under his belt, a poet, a dad, and the founder of a new …By Michael Harren

1
MikeyPod 318 | Pianist Yael Weiss 52:50

3+ y ago52:50

52:50

Israeli-American pianist Yael Weiss is the curator and performer of 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World. Through this commissioning and performance project, Ms. Weiss has commissioned new works from 32 countries of conflict and secluded areas spanning the globe. Our conversation about the project was fascinating on its own, b…

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MikeyPod 317 | Composer Joseph C. Phillips Jr. 1:27:10

3+ y ago1:27:10

1:27:10

I am so honored to present this conversation with composer Joseph C. Phillips Jr. about The Grey Land, his monoopera which explores universal themes of humanity and identity through the intractable triumvirate of race, class, and power in American society. Our conversation began with the origins of the piece and broadened into a discussion about ……

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MikeyPod 316 | Guitarist Mak Grgić 41:11

3+ y ago41:11

41:11

It would be difficult to summarize the impossibly prolific world of guitarist Mak Grgić in one paragraph. He is an accomplished classical guitarist who has performed all over the globe, a builder of communities, and an entrepreneur and educator. Our conversation here was just perfect for the beginning of the year, especially this year. We ……

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MikeyPod 315 | Author Lotus Kay 24:27

3+ y ago24:27

24:27

Lotus Kay is a teen writer who has been published in Thrive Global, Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine, New Leaves, Light of Consciousness, and Voya: Voice of Youth Advocates. 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…

1
MikeyPod 314 | Writer and Actor Tom DeTrinis 53:20

3+ y ago53:20

53:20

From the moment Tom DeTrinis and I began chatting on Skype, I knew this conversation was going to be a good one! Tom is a an angry actor/writer/director/producer who has been at it since 8. From TV shows like Community and 90210 to camp theater in LA and NY, he has brought his personal point …By Michael Harren

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MikeyPod 313 | Comedian Melinda Hill 45:36

3+ y ago45:36

45:36

If you like comedy, therapy, and #poignancy, then you’ll love today’s conversation with award-winning comedian, actress and writer, Melinda Hill. She uses laughter as medicine in Inappropriate, her new comedy special about moving from trauma bonding to trauma mending. Melinda and I hopped right into the deep end of the pool with our conversation an…

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MikeyPod 312 | Artist, Author, and Professor Sharrell D. Luckett, PhD 42:46

3+ y ago42:46

42:46

Sharrell D. Luckett is an award-winning artist, author, and professor who was introduced to me by my longtime friend and frequent collaborator Adam Fitzgerald. With just a glance at her work, I knew she would be a fantastic guest for the podcast. Digging more deeply, I discovered a magnificent poet, musician, and speaker whose work ……

1
MikeyPod 311 | Activist and Rescuer Jill Carnegie 53:10

3+ y ago53:10

53:10

Jill Carnegie serves as Campaign Strategist for the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos, and as a participant in the group’s efforts for a number of years, I have worked closely with Jill in many different capacities. This last year was my first to focus on triage for rescued birds, which gave me a more ……

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MikeyPod 310 | Author and Publisher Eric Obenauf 38:55

3+ y ago38:55

38:55

Like many of us, Eric Obenauf found himself weighing his options after the 2016 election here in the United States. Was it time to leave the country, or was it more important to stay and create the type of community he believed in? He and his wife Eliza settled on the latter and the result …By Michael Harren

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MikeyPod 309 | Theater, Film, and TV Producer Marie Cisco 39:26

3+ y ago39:26

39:26

I had such a great time chatting with theater, film, and television producer Marie Cisco on this week’s podcast. In addition to her incredible creative output, Marie is the originator of a public Google document entitled “Theaters Not Speaking Out,” a remarkably thorough list of theaters who did not speak out against injustices toward black ……

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MikeyPod 308 | Podcaster and Video Producer Maneetpaul Singh 36:29

3+ y ago36:29

36:29

In what might be the most unique path toward inviting a guest to be on the podcast, I first ran across Maneetpaul Singh‘s tech YouTube channel while I was researching a new office chair at the beginning of the pandemic. His review convinced me of my new chair (Autonomous Ergo Chair 2, if you’re curious) ……

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MikeyPod 307 | Musician Sabrina Chap 47:09

3+ y ago47:09

47:09

Sabrina Chap‘s brilliant new album, Postcards from the Rearview Mirror, is a coming-of-age radio musical. Weaving prophetic monologues, theatrical soundscapes, and 10 songs, it tells the story of two queer teens who escape the violence of their homes for the bright lights of Hollywood. I sat down with Sabrina to talk about her process, her passion,…

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MikeyPod 306 | Activist Musician Kiirstin Marilyn 47:52

3+ y ago47:52

47:52

Kiirstin Marilyn has a new album coming out, There Are No Cats in America, and I couldn’t wait to have her back on the podcast to talk about it! She fills us in on the new album, and we got really deep into the idea that there is always something we can do as individuals …By Michael Harren

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Michael Harren Podcasts

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