Videos

Matt Watts is a music industry double threat. By day he's the VP of Marketing at Fender Guitars. At night he continues to play guitar with pop-punk legends, the Starting Line. Matt joined us in 2019 for a live conversation in front of an audience about his varied pursuits -…

Ben Lovett is a true multi-hyphenate. A founding member of Mumford & Sons, Ben sings, plays keyboards and drums, writes and produces music. He develops venues and promotes shows. He owns a record label, music publishing, is a restaurateur, activist, philanthropist and all-around interested and engaged human being.

Author and religious studies scholar Diana Pasulka mines archives from as disparate sources as the US Air Force to the Vatican while searching for material about the links between UFO sightings and religious experiences. Listen to the full conversation from the Spotlight On podcast right here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fb-2jZNnk&t=22s #Shorts…

In this excerpt from the latest episode of Spotlight On, author Jonathon Grasse discusses the deep friendship and musical collaborations between John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, particularly highlighting their performances and European tour in 1961, as well as their personal history starting in 1954. Tune in to the full conversation…

Author and religious studies scholar Diana Pasulka discusses the similarities to reports of arial phenomena from religious traditions and modern UFO sightings. Listen to the full conversation from the Spotlight On podcast right here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fb-2jZNnk&t=22s #Shorts #short #UFOs

Author and religious studies scholar Diana Pasulka discusses how media influences human belief, from her first-hand experience with Hollywood filmmaking. Listen to the full conversation from the Spotlight On podcast right here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fb-2jZNnk&t=22s #Shorts #short #UFOs

In this clip from the new episode of Spotlight On, author Jonathon Grasse discusses the enlightening process of writing Eric Dolphy's biography, revealing lesser-known details and clarifying myths about Dolphy's career and collaborations. Be sure to listen to the full conversation on the Spotlight On podcast: https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/jonathon-grasse-the-life-music-of-eric-dolphy-biography/ #Shorts #short

At the heart of all his endeavors, Bonfire Entertainment Founder Scotty Stoughton is a connector. He lives and breathes music and the world that holds its sound waves. Onstage as frontman with Bonfire Dub or behind the scenes producing his many festivals and events, including WinterWonderGrass and Campout for the…

The music scholar and author discusses Jazz Revolutionary, his groundbreaking biography of Eric Dolphy, and how the revolutionary multi-instrumentalist navigated artistic boundaries from 1940s Los Angeles to the avant-garde jazz scene of the early 1960s. ------------------ Today, the Spotlight shines On author Jonathon Grasse. His new book, Jazz Revolutionary, traces…

In this clip from the Spotlight On podcast, percussionist Lisa Pegher discusses how working on the A.I.RE project has influenced her perspective on AI and technology in music, highlighting collaboration, improvisation, and the evolving nature of tech-infused art. Don't miss the rest of this conversation on the latest episode of…

In this excerpt from the latest episode of Spotlight On, percussionist Lisa Pegher discusses her shift from classical music to improvisation, integrating electronics, and programming to create unique soundscapes that blend analog and digital elements. Listen to the entire conversation on the Spotlight On podcast: https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/lisa-pegher-rhythms-circuits-artificial-intelligence/ #Shorts #DrummerQuotes #MusicianStory #PercussionLife…

In this clip from the new episode of Spotlight On, innovative drummer Lisa Pegher discusses her pioneering concept of bringing percussion to the front of the stage, highlighting her preference for melodic play and the challenges of repertoire and audience acceptance. Listen to the full conversation on the Spotlight On…

Percussionist and digital innovator Lisa Pegher discusses her mission to modernize classical music through AI technology while preserving the deep emotional core of human artistic expression. ------------------ Today, the Spotlight shines On innovative percussionist and drummer Lisa Pegher. Lisa turns percussion into something you’ve never heard before. A pioneering artist…

In this clip from the Spotlight On podcast, author Paul de Barros discusses Marian McPartland's remarkable life, her connections to jazz legends, and her extensive impact through Piano Jazz, her NPR show, highlighting her unmatched legacy in jazz. Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of Spotlight On:…

Today, the Spotlight shines On Dan Mackta, Managing Director of North America and Northern Europe for the high-resolution music service, Qobuz. We get pitched constantly by publicists to have their music business clients on as guests. Long-time listeners have noticed that we host fewer of those types of discussion than…

Today, the Spotlight shines On music impresario Jonathan Shank, the CEO and Founder of Terrapin Station Entertainment. Jonathan is known for his instincts and successes in sniffing out unique opportunities in under-served spaces in the live entertainment industry, creating business successes in categories and markets often overlooked by the large…

Today, the Spotlight shines On Paul Stache, co-owner (with his wife and partner Molly Sparrow Johnson) of Smoke Jazz Club, one of New York City’s premier live music venues. Smoke is celebrating its 25th anniversary throughout 2024 and Paul joined us to talk about the storied venue’s past, present, and…

In this excerpt from Spotlight On, jazz critic Paul de Barros (author of Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland) shares his strategies for conducting insightful interviews, emphasizing preparation and thoughtful questions. He recounts a difficult interview with Ray Charles and…

Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist Dominic Miller, a musician unique in his ability to fit in and contribute as a sideman, but also to step up as a band leader. Dominic may be best known as guitarist — and in his own words, “Lieutenant” — for Sting, a position…

Today, the Spotlight shines On trumpet virtuoso and international superstar Ibrahim Maalouf. Ibrahim is exactly the type of artist we love hosting - sensitive, open and unwilling to be limited by genre or expectations. His work mixes jazz, pop, classical, electronic, Middle Eastern, and African influences into a cosmopolitan sound…

Today, the Spotlight shines On Gabriel Kennedy, the author of the forthcoming biography Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson, which hits shelves in February 2024 from Strange Attractor/ MIT Press. The subject of that book, Robert Anton Wilson, wrote 35 books and over 1,500 published…

Today, the Spotlight shines On author, entrepreneur, and teacher Seth Godin. I recently watched an interview with Seth wherein he was describing a discussion he had with someone asking him for career advice and he remarked, “I was not always Seth Godin”. For some of us, that is hard to…

Today, the Spotlight shines On Kerry O’Brien and William Robin, co-authors of the book On Minimalism: Documenting a Musical Movement from University of California Press. Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley and LaMonte Young are stereotypically described as the “Big Four” of minimalism in music. While On Minimalism does nothing…

Today, the Spotlight shines On Danish saxophonist, composer, and best-selling author Benjamin Koppel. Benjamin joined us to discuss his July 2023 release Perspective, the latest work from KCB Collective, a trio that, in addition to Koppel, includes Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums. It looks great on…