I am a podcast fanatic. FA.NA.TIC. I think it’s the most amazing way to take in information and I listen to them constantly to make mundane chores like doing the dishes or commuting more interesting. Since I love to learn but am no longer in school it’s a great way for me to keep growing as a person and as a musician. Today I’d like to highlight two different podcasts that are both produced in my city, Sacramento, CA.
The first is Music Untapped produced by Heather Waid and Chris Langton. Some of you may remember Heather from the blog post “5 Things your Accompanist wants you to Know” blog post. In each episode Heather and Chris kick back with a drink and do a deep dive into the obscure corners of music by exploring questions like “What are the hardest songs ever written?” and “Why do we learn on recorders in school?” It’s like taking a very bizarre, niche music history class but without papers or final exams! Bonus, if it’s happy hour time you can pour a drink and pretend you are with them like I sometimes do.
The second podcast I’d like to highlight is Dis/Sect which is produced by Cole Cuchna. By his own description it is a serialized music podcast that aims to counter our current shift towards a hurried scrolling/swipe culture. Each season of Dis/sect does a musical analysis of one album. This podcast is like a masterclass on musical composition, history and context. I first listened to his examination of one of my all time favorite albums “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and I learned SO MUCH. My classical musical training focused a lot on music from the 1600s to -1950ish but I have never spent the same kind of time and energy learning about music made during my lifetime. I grew up listening to Hip-hop/rap which is Dis/sect’s specialty but have never studied and it was great to add in-depth context to my own personal memories of those songs. Cole has done the research, all you have to do is hit play and listen.
Do you have a favorite local podcast about music? If so drop me a line and share it!