The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, Meaning & More Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-sum-of-all-wisdom The Sum of All Wisdom is built on a simple idea: music IS the sum of all wisdom. More than a podcast, The Sum of All Wisdom is a community and resource platform dedicated to exploring music as a way of knowing. Music is humanity's oldest way of knowing and one of our best technologies for making meaning, and through long-form conversations with musicians, producers, writers, and cultural thinkers—along with performances, essays, and educational resources—we investigate the creative life and what it teaches us about memory, identity, creativity, community, and the human condition. Whether you're a musician, artist, scholar, or simply someone who loves music and believes it matters, The Sum of All Wisdom is an invitation to listen more deeply: to great music, to the people who make it, and to the wisdom gained through a life devoted to music and musical worlds. Because music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity's most ancient ways of understanding the universe and our place in it. © 2026 The Catey Creative Group, LLC fbc9866d-8f50-56ad-b762-b971b26923f4 yes Support this podcast on Patreon The Sum of All Wisdom Trailer en Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:36:04 -0400 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:37:52 -0400 https://thesumofallwisdom.com/ https://img.transistorcdn.com/Ms2mkFECOrQ2XwTs6mcp0e096pM8gecSD8XXZr5Mb-0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wYjZh/Zjk1NjhmNzU4ZmJi/ZWJmMjI0YWViNmU3/YjEwOS5wbmc.jpg The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, Meaning & More https://thesumofallwisdom.com/ episodic Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer The Sum of All Wisdom is built on a simple idea: music IS the sum of all wisdom. More than a podcast, The Sum of All Wisdom is a community and resource platform dedicated to exploring music as a way of knowing. Music is humanity's oldest way of knowing and one of our best technologies for making meaning, and through long-form conversations with musicians, producers, writers, and cultural thinkers—along with performances, essays, and educational resources—we investigate the creative life and what it teaches us about memory, identity, creativity, community, and the human condition. Whether you're a musician, artist, scholar, or simply someone who loves music and believes it matters, The Sum of All Wisdom is an invitation to listen more deeply: to great music, to the people who make it, and to the wisdom gained through a life devoted to music and musical worlds. Because music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity's most ancient ways of understanding the universe and our place in it. The Sum of All Wisdom is built on a simple idea: music IS the sum of all wisdom. music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom Dr. Scott Catey catey.scott@gmail.com No Yes Something Sacred in That: Emma Swift on songwriting, interpretation, creativity, listening beyond the algorithm…and Dylan 19 19 Something Sacred in That: Emma Swift on songwriting, interpretation, creativity, listening beyond the algorithm…and Dylan full 71c4ceb6-245a-4d21-845c-f446110c6729 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bdf7e2fb What happens when we stop asking whether art is successful—and instead ask how it matters?

Singer-songwriter Emma Swift has spent a life listening closely: to records, to other singers, to fragments of language, to the places where songs come from, and especially to Bob Dylan. Her acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks explored Dylan’s songs not as museum pieces to be faithfully reproduced, but as living works to be inhabited, interpreted, and made new.

For Emma, learning a Dylan song is almost an intellectual exercise: “Some people do crossword puzzles to exercise their brain. I learn Bob Dylan songs.” It is, she says, a way of getting inside someone else’s mind.

That idea opens into a much larger conversation about creativity.

Emma and Scott talk about what it means to be an interpreter as well as a songwriter; the singers who taught Emma how to sing; the continuing mystery of Dylan’s work; and why a great song can still “capsize” us decades after it was written. For Emma, interpretation is not imitation. A song can carry traces of Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and every artist who has inhabited it before—and still become something new in the hands of the next singer.

They also explore Emma’s own creative process: notebooks, overheard phrases, melodies captured on a phone, collaboration, and the gradual transformation of small observations into finished songs.

And then there is the increasingly difficult question of how we decide whether any of this has succeeded.

Emma thinks visible metrics may be among the worst things to happen to the creative industries. A record, she argues, succeeds first because it sounds good—not because an algorithm, stream count, sales figure, or social-media metric tells us that other people approve of it. Pulling a beloved record from the shelf and settling the needle in the groove is something different: an intentional, intimate encounter between listener and artist. “There’s something kind of sacred in that.”

It is an idea at the heart of The Sum of All Wisdom: listening is itself a creative act.

Along the way, Emma takes us from Sydney to Nashville, where she arrived in 2012 with two suitcases—one containing clothes and the other, somewhat impractically, filled with records. She came looking for the songwriting world of Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Gillian Welch, and found a place where she could begin building a creative life of her own.

Ultimately, though, this conversation reaches beyond records, songwriting, or even music.

Emma believes creativity is something much more fundamental. It can mean making a song, a garden, a meal, or a piece of clothing. Art can offer refuge from a destructive world—but creativity also gives us another way of participating in it.

“We’re all born to be creative people,” Emma says. And perhaps the world would be kinder “if everybody felt entitled to be creative.”

Highlights

  • Why certain songs “capsize” us
  • Bob Dylan and the art of interpretation
  • Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and the lineage of a song
  • What singers can learn by inhabiting someone else’s music
  • Emma’s journey from Sydney to Nashville
  • Guy Clark and the power of the unadorned song
  • Songwriting through notebooks, overheard language, and collaboration
  • Why commercial disappointment isn’t necessarily artistic failure
  • The problem with visible metrics and algorithmic culture
  • Vinyl, ritual, and the intimate experience of listening
  • Why creativity belongs to everyone

About the Artist

Emma Swift is an Australian-born songwriter, currently residing in Nashville, TN. A gifted singer inspired by Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull and a plethora of dead poets, her sound is a blend of classic folk, Americana and indie rock. 

 

In August 2020, she released the critically-acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks, a Laurel Canyon inspired reimagining of some of her favorite Bob Dylan tunes on Tiny Ghost Records. The album received Best of 2020 accolades from Rolling Stone, Nashville Scene, No Depression, The Guardian, and more. 

 

Her new album The Resurrection Game was released on Tiny Ghost Records on September 12, 2025.

Connect with Emma

Links:

Cover photo by Autumn Dozier, https://www.instagram.com/autumn.dozier/ 


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two key ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and others who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, creativity, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living and as a way of knowing the world, each other, and ourselves.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> What happens when we stop asking whether art is successful—and instead ask how it matters?

Singer-songwriter Emma Swift has spent a life listening closely: to records, to other singers, to fragments of language, to the places where songs come from, and especially to Bob Dylan. Her acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks explored Dylan’s songs not as museum pieces to be faithfully reproduced, but as living works to be inhabited, interpreted, and made new.

For Emma, learning a Dylan song is almost an intellectual exercise: “Some people do crossword puzzles to exercise their brain. I learn Bob Dylan songs.” It is, she says, a way of getting inside someone else’s mind.

That idea opens into a much larger conversation about creativity.

Emma and Scott talk about what it means to be an interpreter as well as a songwriter; the singers who taught Emma how to sing; the continuing mystery of Dylan’s work; and why a great song can still “capsize” us decades after it was written. For Emma, interpretation is not imitation. A song can carry traces of Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and every artist who has inhabited it before—and still become something new in the hands of the next singer.

They also explore Emma’s own creative process: notebooks, overheard phrases, melodies captured on a phone, collaboration, and the gradual transformation of small observations into finished songs.

And then there is the increasingly difficult question of how we decide whether any of this has succeeded.

Emma thinks visible metrics may be among the worst things to happen to the creative industries. A record, she argues, succeeds first because it sounds good—not because an algorithm, stream count, sales figure, or social-media metric tells us that other people approve of it. Pulling a beloved record from the shelf and settling the needle in the groove is something different: an intentional, intimate encounter between listener and artist. “There’s something kind of sacred in that.”

It is an idea at the heart of The Sum of All Wisdom: listening is itself a creative act.

Along the way, Emma takes us from Sydney to Nashville, where she arrived in 2012 with two suitcases—one containing clothes and the other, somewhat impractically, filled with records. She came looking for the songwriting world of Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Gillian Welch, and found a place where she could begin building a creative life of her own.

Ultimately, though, this conversation reaches beyond records, songwriting, or even music.

Emma believes creativity is something much more fundamental. It can mean making a song, a garden, a meal, or a piece of clothing. Art can offer refuge from a destructive world—but creativity also gives us another way of participating in it.

“We’re all born to be creative people,” Emma says. And perhaps the world would be kinder “if everybody felt entitled to be creative.”

Highlights

  • Why certain songs “capsize” us
  • Bob Dylan and the art of interpretation
  • Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and the lineage of a song
  • What singers can learn by inhabiting someone else’s music
  • Emma’s journey from Sydney to Nashville
  • Guy Clark and the power of the unadorned song
  • Songwriting through notebooks, overheard language, and collaboration
  • Why commercial disappointment isn’t necessarily artistic failure
  • The problem with visible metrics and algorithmic culture
  • Vinyl, ritual, and the intimate experience of listening
  • Why creativity belongs to everyone

About the Artist

Emma Swift is an Australian-born songwriter, currently residing in Nashville, TN. A gifted singer inspired by Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull and a plethora of dead poets, her sound is a blend of classic folk, Americana and indie rock. 

 

In August 2020, she released the critically-acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks, a Laurel Canyon inspired reimagining of some of her favorite Bob Dylan tunes on Tiny Ghost Records. The album received Best of 2020 accolades from Rolling Stone, Nashville Scene, No Depression, The Guardian, and more. 

 

Her new album The Resurrection Game was released on Tiny Ghost Records on September 12, 2025.

Connect with Emma

Links:

Cover photo by Autumn Dozier, https://www.instagram.com/autumn.dozier/ 


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two key ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and others who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, creativity, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living and as a way of knowing the world, each other, and ourselves.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4621 What happens when we stop asking whether art is successful—and instead ask how it matters?

Singer-songwriter Emma Swift has spent a life listening closely: to records, to other singers, to fragments of language, to the places where songs come from, and especially to Bob Dylan. Her acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks explored Dylan’s songs not as museum pieces to be faithfully reproduced, but as living works to be inhabited, interpreted, and made new.

For Emma, learning a Dylan song is almost an intellectual exercise: “Some people do crossword puzzles to exercise their brain. I learn Bob Dylan songs.” It is, she says, a way of getting inside someone else’s mind.

That idea opens into a much larger conversation about creativity.

Emma and Scott talk about what it means to be an interpreter as well as a songwriter; the singers who taught Emma how to sing; the continuing mystery of Dylan’s work; and why a great song can still “capsize” us decades after it was written. For Emma, interpretation is not imitation. A song can carry traces of Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and every artist who has inhabited it before—and still become something new in the hands of the next singer.

They also explore Emma’s own creative process: notebooks, overheard phrases, melodies captured on a phone, collaboration, and the gradual transformation of small observations into finished songs.

And then there is the increasingly difficult question of how we decide whether any of this has succeeded.

Emma thinks visible metrics may be among the worst things to happen to the creative industries. A record, she argues, succeeds first because it sounds good—not because an algorithm, stream count, sales figure, or social-media metric tells us that other people approve of it. Pulling a beloved record from the shelf and settling the needle in the groove is something different: an intentional, intimate encounter between listener and artist. “There’s something kind of sacred in that.”

It is an idea at the heart of The Sum of All Wisdom: listening is itself a creative act.

Along the way, Emma takes us from Sydney to Nashville, where she arrived in 2012 with two suitcases—one containing clothes and the other, somewhat impractically, filled with records. She came looking for the songwriting world of Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Gillian Welch, and found a place where she could begin building a creative life of her own.

Ultimately, though, this conversation reaches beyond records, songwriting, or even music.

Emma believes creativity is something much more fundamental. It can mean making a song, a garden, a meal, or a piece of clothing. Art can offer refuge from a destructive world—but creativity also gives us another way of participating in it.

“We’re all born to be creative people,” Emma says. And perhaps the world would be kinder “if everybody felt entitled to be creative.”

Highlights

  • Why certain songs “capsize” us
  • Bob Dylan and the art of interpretation
  • Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, and the lineage of a song
  • What singers can learn by inhabiting someone else’s music
  • Emma’s journey from Sydney to Nashville
  • Guy Clark and the power of the unadorned song
  • Songwriting through notebooks, overheard language, and collaboration
  • Why commercial disappointment isn’t necessarily artistic failure
  • The problem with visible metrics and algorithmic culture
  • Vinyl, ritual, and the intimate experience of listening
  • Why creativity belongs to everyone

About the Artist

Emma Swift is an Australian-born songwriter, currently residing in Nashville, TN. A gifted singer inspired by Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull and a plethora of dead poets, her sound is a blend of classic folk, Americana and indie rock. 

 

In August 2020, she released the critically-acclaimed Blonde on the Tracks, a Laurel Canyon inspired reimagining of some of her favorite Bob Dylan tunes on Tiny Ghost Records. The album received Best of 2020 accolades from Rolling Stone, Nashville Scene, No Depression, The Guardian, and more. 

 

Her new album The Resurrection Game was released on Tiny Ghost Records on September 12, 2025.

Connect with Emma

Links:

Cover photo by Autumn Dozier, https://www.instagram.com/autumn.dozier/ 


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two key ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and others who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, creativity, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living and as a way of knowing the world, each other, and ourselves.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No You Already Know How to Make Music: Kalani Das on play, listening, imperfection, and finding our way to music 18 18 You Already Know How to Make Music: Kalani Das on play, listening, imperfection, and finding our way to music full 2dbd1335-85c8-4596-90ec-7b636f75ad65 https://share.transistor.fm/s/29b0adeb What if learning music begins with listening, not learning how to play an instrument or reading notation?

Find a sound. Notice it. Find another one. Play with them. Follow your curiosity. Make a mistake. Keep going.

For Kalani Das, musician, educator, music therapist, author, and master percussionist, music begins with experience, not rules, notation, or technique.

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Kalani joins me for a wide-ranging exploration of what happens when we stop treating music as something we have to master and begin treating it as something human beings naturally do.

Kalani traces his journey from a dyslexic kid struggling with conventional music lessons to drummer, performer, educator, Orff Schulwerk practitioner, music therapist, and facilitator of musical experiences for people of widely different ages and abilities.

Along the way, he challenges some remarkably persistent assumptions about learning and creativity.

Notation isn't music. Technique isn't a prerequisite for expression. Teachers don't always need to provide answers. And sometimes the most powerful thing a facilitator can do is create a space—and then get out of the way.

Kalani also performs twice for us.

First, he builds an original piece in real time through live looping, moving among percussion, keyboard, ukulele, bass sounds, and Native American-style flute. The performance leads to one of the episode's most important observations: perfection isn't the point.

“Good enough is not only good enough. Good enough is great.”


Later, the conversation turns toward silence, attention, technology, and the grounding experience of making sound. Kalani combines drum, drone, flute, and a reading about space for a striking demonstration of what can emerge from simplicity.

We also explore Kalani's work in music therapy, including traumatic brain injury and addiction recovery; his discovery of Orff Schulwerk; improvisation and play; the importance of letting learners discover things for themselves; and music's extraordinary capacity to create connection.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about permission: permission to play, to experiment, to make mistakes, to listen, and to discover what happens next.

As Kalani puts it near the end of our conversation, being musical is “a way that we not only celebrate who we are, but it's how we remember who we are.” And from there, he’s got one more incredible insight that follows. 

It can also help us “create who we want to be.”


Episode Highlights

·       Why conventional music lessons can sometimes create barriers to music

·       Beginning with sound and experience rather than notation

·       What Kalani learned from Orff Schulwerk

·       Play, experimentation, and the natural ways children learn

·       Why a teacher can be more powerful as a facilitator

·       Kalani's live-looping process and multi-instrument studio

·       Why “good enough is great”

·       Native American-style flutes and musical accessibility

·       Music therapy, traumatic brain injury, and addiction recovery

·       Creating musical experiences that include different abilities

·       Silence as an invitation to participation

·       Listening in a distracted, screen-saturated world

·       Drumming, embodiment, presence, and flow

·       Why simplicity can be extraordinarily powerful

·       Music as a way of celebrating, remembering—and creating—ourselves


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • In-episode demonstration & performance

Used with permission


About the Artist

Kalani Das is a musician, percussionist, educator, author, music therapist, and internationally experienced facilitator whose work brings together drumming, improvisation, music education, mindfulness, and community music-making.

His teaching emphasizes accessible, human-centered approaches to music: experimentation before perfection, experience before abstraction, and creativity as something available to everyone.

Kalani teaches drums and percussion, ukulele, and Native American-style flute, and he shares an extensive library of creative and educational material online. His work includes World Drum Club, Kalani Music, Ukulele Club, and his weekly Tuesday Muse Day livestream, plus courses, community resources, and his book The Way of Music: Creating Sound Connections in Music Therapy.

Connect with the Artist

Visit KalaniMusic.com for Kalani's teaching, performances, events, and resources.

On YouTube, find World Drum Club for drumming and percussion instruction, Kalani Music for music and Native American-style flute resources, and Ukulele Club for ukulele instruction.

Kalani also hosts Tuesday Muse Day, a weekly livestream featuring improvisation, live looping, teaching, meditative “yin drumming,” and audience-driven musical challenges.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative l...

]]> What if learning music begins with listening, not learning how to play an instrument or reading notation?

Find a sound. Notice it. Find another one. Play with them. Follow your curiosity. Make a mistake. Keep going.

For Kalani Das, musician, educator, music therapist, author, and master percussionist, music begins with experience, not rules, notation, or technique.

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Kalani joins me for a wide-ranging exploration of what happens when we stop treating music as something we have to master and begin treating it as something human beings naturally do.

Kalani traces his journey from a dyslexic kid struggling with conventional music lessons to drummer, performer, educator, Orff Schulwerk practitioner, music therapist, and facilitator of musical experiences for people of widely different ages and abilities.

Along the way, he challenges some remarkably persistent assumptions about learning and creativity.

Notation isn't music. Technique isn't a prerequisite for expression. Teachers don't always need to provide answers. And sometimes the most powerful thing a facilitator can do is create a space—and then get out of the way.

Kalani also performs twice for us.

First, he builds an original piece in real time through live looping, moving among percussion, keyboard, ukulele, bass sounds, and Native American-style flute. The performance leads to one of the episode's most important observations: perfection isn't the point.

“Good enough is not only good enough. Good enough is great.”


Later, the conversation turns toward silence, attention, technology, and the grounding experience of making sound. Kalani combines drum, drone, flute, and a reading about space for a striking demonstration of what can emerge from simplicity.

We also explore Kalani's work in music therapy, including traumatic brain injury and addiction recovery; his discovery of Orff Schulwerk; improvisation and play; the importance of letting learners discover things for themselves; and music's extraordinary capacity to create connection.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about permission: permission to play, to experiment, to make mistakes, to listen, and to discover what happens next.

As Kalani puts it near the end of our conversation, being musical is “a way that we not only celebrate who we are, but it's how we remember who we are.” And from there, he’s got one more incredible insight that follows. 

It can also help us “create who we want to be.”


Episode Highlights

·       Why conventional music lessons can sometimes create barriers to music

·       Beginning with sound and experience rather than notation

·       What Kalani learned from Orff Schulwerk

·       Play, experimentation, and the natural ways children learn

·       Why a teacher can be more powerful as a facilitator

·       Kalani's live-looping process and multi-instrument studio

·       Why “good enough is great”

·       Native American-style flutes and musical accessibility

·       Music therapy, traumatic brain injury, and addiction recovery

·       Creating musical experiences that include different abilities

·       Silence as an invitation to participation

·       Listening in a distracted, screen-saturated world

·       Drumming, embodiment, presence, and flow

·       Why simplicity can be extraordinarily powerful

·       Music as a way of celebrating, remembering—and creating—ourselves


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • In-episode demonstration & performance

Used with permission


About the Artist

Kalani Das is a musician, percussionist, educator, author, music therapist, and internationally experienced facilitator whose work brings together drumming, improvisation, music education, mindfulness, and community music-making.

His teaching emphasizes accessible, human-centered approaches to music: experimentation before perfection, experience before abstraction, and creativity as something available to everyone.

Kalani teaches drums and percussion, ukulele, and Native American-style flute, and he shares an extensive library of creative and educational material online. His work includes World Drum Club, Kalani Music, Ukulele Club, and his weekly Tuesday Muse Day livestream, plus courses, community resources, and his book The Way of Music: Creating Sound Connections in Music Therapy.

Connect with the Artist

Visit KalaniMusic.com for Kalani's teaching, performances, events, and resources.

On YouTube, find World Drum Club for drumming and percussion instruction, Kalani Music for music and Native American-style flute resources, and Ukulele Club for ukulele instruction.

Kalani also hosts Tuesday Muse Day, a weekly livestream featuring improvisation, live looping, teaching, meditative “yin drumming,” and audience-driven musical challenges.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative l...

]]> Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4357 What if learning music begins with listening, not learning how to play an instrument or reading notation?

Find a sound. Notice it. Find another one. Play with them. Follow your curiosity. Make a mistake. Keep going.

For Kalani Das, musician, educator, music therapist, author, and master percussionist, music begins with experience, not rules, notation, or technique.

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Kalani joins me for a wide-ranging exploration of what happens when we stop treating music as something we have to master and begin treating it as something human beings naturally do.

Kalani traces his journey from a dyslexic kid struggling with conventional music lessons to drummer, performer, educator, Orff Schulwerk practitioner, music therapist, and facilitator of musical experiences for people of widely different ages and abilities.

Along the way, he challenges some remarkably persistent assumptions about learning and creativity.

Notation isn't music. Technique isn't a prerequisite for expression. Teachers don't always need to provide answers. And sometimes the most powerful thing a facilitator can do is create a space—and then get out of the way.

Kalani also performs twice for us.

First, he builds an original piece in real time through live looping, moving among percussion, keyboard, ukulele, bass sounds, and Native American-style flute. The performance leads to one of the episode's most important observations: perfection isn't the point.

“Good enough is not only good enough. Good enough is great.”


Later, the conversation turns toward silence, attention, technology, and the grounding experience of making sound. Kalani combines drum, drone, flute, and a reading about space for a striking demonstration of what can emerge from simplicity.

We also explore Kalani's work in music therapy, including traumatic brain injury and addiction recovery; his discovery of Orff Schulwerk; improvisation and play; the importance of letting learners discover things for themselves; and music's extraordinary capacity to create connection.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about permission: permission to play, to experiment, to make mistakes, to listen, and to discover what happens next.

As Kalani puts it near the end of our conversation, being musical is “a way that we not only celebrate who we are, but it's how we remember who we are.” And from there, he’s got one more incredible insight that follows. 

It can also help us “create who we want to be.”


Episode Highlights

·       Why conventional music lessons can sometimes create barriers to music

·       Beginning with sound and experience rather than notation

·       What Kalani learned from Orff Schulwerk

·       Play, experimentation, and the natural ways children learn

·       Why a teacher can be more powerful as a facilitator

·       Kalani's live-looping process and multi-instrument studio

·       Why “good enough is great”

·       Native American-style flutes and musical accessibility

·       Music therapy, traumatic brain injury, and addiction recovery

·       Creating musical experiences that include different abilities

·       Silence as an invitation to participation

·       Listening in a distracted, screen-saturated world

·       Drumming, embodiment, presence, and flow

·       Why simplicity can be extraordinarily powerful

·       Music as a way of celebrating, remembering—and creating—ourselves


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • In-episode demonstration & performance

Used with permission


About the Artist

Kalani Das is a musician, percussionist, educator, author, music therapist, and internationally experienced facilitator whose work brings together drumming, improvisation, music education, mindfulness, and community music-making.

His teaching emphasizes accessible, human-centered approaches to music: experimentation before perfection, experience before abstraction, and creativity as something available to everyone.

Kalani teaches drums and percussion, ukulele, and Native American-style flute, and he shares an extensive library of creative and educational material online. His work includes World Drum Club, Kalani Music, Ukulele Club, and his weekly Tuesday Muse Day livestream, plus courses, community resources, and his book The Way of Music: Creating Sound Connections in Music Therapy.

Connect with the Artist

Visit KalaniMusic.com for Kalani's teaching, performances, events, and resources.

On YouTube, find World Drum Club for drumming and percussion instruction, Kalani Music for music and Native American-style flute resources, and Ukulele Club for ukulele instruction.

Kalani also hosts Tuesday Muse Day, a weekly livestream featuring improvisation, live looping, teaching, meditative “yin drumming,” and audience-driven musical challenges.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative l...

]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Earl Slick on David Bowie, John Lennon & the most memorable moment of his incredible career 17 17 Earl Slick on David Bowie, John Lennon & the most memorable moment of his incredible career full 00ffc545-d696-42a8-9c57-408c42d7efcf https://share.transistor.fm/s/8b59493e Earl Slick has spent more than five decades alongside some of the most consequential artists in rock and roll—David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Buddy Guy and many more. And he's not done yet. 

BOWIE: LIVE ON THE LOCH — NOVEMBER 7–8, 2026 Earl is helping lead Bowie: Live on the Loch, an extraordinary two-day celebration of David Bowie at Cameron House on Loch Lomond, Scotland, in aid of Save the Children. The weekend reunites members of Bowie’s legendary Glastonbury 2000 band—including Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell—for a live performance on November 8. 

The weekend also features rare Bowie footage, the Duffy Archive exhibition, conversations about Bowie’s legacy, and Earl Slick’s Rock ’n’ Roll Guitar Auction, with proceeds supporting Save the Children. 

Information and tickets: https://www.cameronhouse.co.uk/bowie-live-on-the-loch/


For the podcast conversation, though, Slick doesn’t particularly want to talk about being a guitar hero. 

“I love being a sideman,” he says. “I like to be the guy that supports the guy.” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Earl joins Dr. Scott Catey—with guitar close at hand—to talk about rhythm, instinct, collaboration, creativity, and what it means to discover what only you can bring to the music. In our conversation, Earl takes us inside his remarkable musical life—from seeing the Beatles and discovering Keith Richards to joining David Bowie for the Diamond Dogs Tour and confronting an intimidating question: Was he supposed to replace Mick Ronson by sounding like Mick Ronson? 

Bowie’s answer changed everything: “I love what you do. Do what you do.” 

Earl tells the stories behind his work on Station to Station, including “Stay” and “Golden Years,” and explains why rhythm—not guitar heroics—lies at the center of his playing: 

“The rhythm to me…it’s the heartbeat.” 

He also remembers working with John Lennon and Yoko Ono during the Double Fantasy era, and shares the deeply emotional story of performing “Imagine” with Bowie in Hong Kong on the third anniversary of Lennon’s death. Earl remembers fighting back tears—and knowing that if he looked at Bowie, he might not make it through the song. 

And then there’s Buddy Guy. After playing with Bowie and Lennon and spending decades on some of the world’s biggest stages, Earl says one of the great validations of his musical life came when Buddy Guy invited him to play. The experience left him so exhilarated that he walked around Chicago for two hours the next morning trying to come down from it. 

Near the end of our conversation, Earl describes that disappearance beautifully. When he’s making art or playing onstage, the noise of everyday life falls away. Thinking stops. “I just become me. Whatever the essence of me is.” And perhaps that’s the larger lesson here: greatness isn’t always about standing at the center. Sometimes it’s about listening closely enough to discover what only you can bring—and putting it in service of something larger.

Highlights

  • David Bowie and the creative freedom to “do what you do”
  • John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Double Fantasy
  • Keith Richards and the power of rhythm guitar
  • The making of “Stay” and “Golden Years”
  • Why Earl Slick loves being a sideman
  • Mick Ronson and finding your own musical identity
  • Steve Cropper and the lineage of the great sideman
  • Playing with Buddy Guy
  • Guitars, amps, pickups and playing with your fingers
  • Visual art and losing yourself in the creative process
  • Why the ordinary world disappears when Earl steps onto a stage

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Slick’s in the moment riffing

All music used with permission

About the Artist

Earl Slick is one of rock and roll’s most distinctive and enduring guitarists. Best known for his decades-long collaboration with David Bowie, Slick helped shape landmark recordings including Young Americans and Station to Station and returned to Bowie’s band across multiple eras. He also played with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey, and has worked with artists including Ian Hunter, John Waite, The Cure, and Buddy Guy. Renowned for his muscular, instinctive playing and deep sense of rhythm, Slick proudly embraces the role of sideman: serving the song, supporting the artist, and always bringing something unmistakably his own.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Earl Slick has spent more than five decades alongside some of the most consequential artists in rock and roll—David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Buddy Guy and many more. And he's not done yet. 

BOWIE: LIVE ON THE LOCH — NOVEMBER 7–8, 2026 Earl is helping lead Bowie: Live on the Loch, an extraordinary two-day celebration of David Bowie at Cameron House on Loch Lomond, Scotland, in aid of Save the Children. The weekend reunites members of Bowie’s legendary Glastonbury 2000 band—including Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell—for a live performance on November 8. 

The weekend also features rare Bowie footage, the Duffy Archive exhibition, conversations about Bowie’s legacy, and Earl Slick’s Rock ’n’ Roll Guitar Auction, with proceeds supporting Save the Children. 

Information and tickets: https://www.cameronhouse.co.uk/bowie-live-on-the-loch/


For the podcast conversation, though, Slick doesn’t particularly want to talk about being a guitar hero. 

“I love being a sideman,” he says. “I like to be the guy that supports the guy.” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Earl joins Dr. Scott Catey—with guitar close at hand—to talk about rhythm, instinct, collaboration, creativity, and what it means to discover what only you can bring to the music. In our conversation, Earl takes us inside his remarkable musical life—from seeing the Beatles and discovering Keith Richards to joining David Bowie for the Diamond Dogs Tour and confronting an intimidating question: Was he supposed to replace Mick Ronson by sounding like Mick Ronson? 

Bowie’s answer changed everything: “I love what you do. Do what you do.” 

Earl tells the stories behind his work on Station to Station, including “Stay” and “Golden Years,” and explains why rhythm—not guitar heroics—lies at the center of his playing: 

“The rhythm to me…it’s the heartbeat.” 

He also remembers working with John Lennon and Yoko Ono during the Double Fantasy era, and shares the deeply emotional story of performing “Imagine” with Bowie in Hong Kong on the third anniversary of Lennon’s death. Earl remembers fighting back tears—and knowing that if he looked at Bowie, he might not make it through the song. 

And then there’s Buddy Guy. After playing with Bowie and Lennon and spending decades on some of the world’s biggest stages, Earl says one of the great validations of his musical life came when Buddy Guy invited him to play. The experience left him so exhilarated that he walked around Chicago for two hours the next morning trying to come down from it. 

Near the end of our conversation, Earl describes that disappearance beautifully. When he’s making art or playing onstage, the noise of everyday life falls away. Thinking stops. “I just become me. Whatever the essence of me is.” And perhaps that’s the larger lesson here: greatness isn’t always about standing at the center. Sometimes it’s about listening closely enough to discover what only you can bring—and putting it in service of something larger.

Highlights

  • David Bowie and the creative freedom to “do what you do”
  • John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Double Fantasy
  • Keith Richards and the power of rhythm guitar
  • The making of “Stay” and “Golden Years”
  • Why Earl Slick loves being a sideman
  • Mick Ronson and finding your own musical identity
  • Steve Cropper and the lineage of the great sideman
  • Playing with Buddy Guy
  • Guitars, amps, pickups and playing with your fingers
  • Visual art and losing yourself in the creative process
  • Why the ordinary world disappears when Earl steps onto a stage

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Slick’s in the moment riffing

All music used with permission

About the Artist

Earl Slick is one of rock and roll’s most distinctive and enduring guitarists. Best known for his decades-long collaboration with David Bowie, Slick helped shape landmark recordings including Young Americans and Station to Station and returned to Bowie’s band across multiple eras. He also played with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey, and has worked with artists including Ian Hunter, John Waite, The Cure, and Buddy Guy. Renowned for his muscular, instinctive playing and deep sense of rhythm, Slick proudly embraces the role of sideman: serving the song, supporting the artist, and always bringing something unmistakably his own.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3846 Earl Slick has spent more than five decades alongside some of the most consequential artists in rock and roll—David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Buddy Guy and many more. And he's not done yet. 

BOWIE: LIVE ON THE LOCH — NOVEMBER 7–8, 2026 Earl is helping lead Bowie: Live on the Loch, an extraordinary two-day celebration of David Bowie at Cameron House on Loch Lomond, Scotland, in aid of Save the Children. The weekend reunites members of Bowie’s legendary Glastonbury 2000 band—including Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell—for a live performance on November 8. 

The weekend also features rare Bowie footage, the Duffy Archive exhibition, conversations about Bowie’s legacy, and Earl Slick’s Rock ’n’ Roll Guitar Auction, with proceeds supporting Save the Children. 

Information and tickets: https://www.cameronhouse.co.uk/bowie-live-on-the-loch/


For the podcast conversation, though, Slick doesn’t particularly want to talk about being a guitar hero. 

“I love being a sideman,” he says. “I like to be the guy that supports the guy.” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Earl joins Dr. Scott Catey—with guitar close at hand—to talk about rhythm, instinct, collaboration, creativity, and what it means to discover what only you can bring to the music. In our conversation, Earl takes us inside his remarkable musical life—from seeing the Beatles and discovering Keith Richards to joining David Bowie for the Diamond Dogs Tour and confronting an intimidating question: Was he supposed to replace Mick Ronson by sounding like Mick Ronson? 

Bowie’s answer changed everything: “I love what you do. Do what you do.” 

Earl tells the stories behind his work on Station to Station, including “Stay” and “Golden Years,” and explains why rhythm—not guitar heroics—lies at the center of his playing: 

“The rhythm to me…it’s the heartbeat.” 

He also remembers working with John Lennon and Yoko Ono during the Double Fantasy era, and shares the deeply emotional story of performing “Imagine” with Bowie in Hong Kong on the third anniversary of Lennon’s death. Earl remembers fighting back tears—and knowing that if he looked at Bowie, he might not make it through the song. 

And then there’s Buddy Guy. After playing with Bowie and Lennon and spending decades on some of the world’s biggest stages, Earl says one of the great validations of his musical life came when Buddy Guy invited him to play. The experience left him so exhilarated that he walked around Chicago for two hours the next morning trying to come down from it. 

Near the end of our conversation, Earl describes that disappearance beautifully. When he’s making art or playing onstage, the noise of everyday life falls away. Thinking stops. “I just become me. Whatever the essence of me is.” And perhaps that’s the larger lesson here: greatness isn’t always about standing at the center. Sometimes it’s about listening closely enough to discover what only you can bring—and putting it in service of something larger.

Highlights

  • David Bowie and the creative freedom to “do what you do”
  • John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Double Fantasy
  • Keith Richards and the power of rhythm guitar
  • The making of “Stay” and “Golden Years”
  • Why Earl Slick loves being a sideman
  • Mick Ronson and finding your own musical identity
  • Steve Cropper and the lineage of the great sideman
  • Playing with Buddy Guy
  • Guitars, amps, pickups and playing with your fingers
  • Visual art and losing yourself in the creative process
  • Why the ordinary world disappears when Earl steps onto a stage

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Slick’s in the moment riffing

All music used with permission

About the Artist

Earl Slick is one of rock and roll’s most distinctive and enduring guitarists. Best known for his decades-long collaboration with David Bowie, Slick helped shape landmark recordings including Young Americans and Station to Station and returned to Bowie’s band across multiple eras. He also played with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey, and has worked with artists including Ian Hunter, John Waite, The Cure, and Buddy Guy. Renowned for his muscular, instinctive playing and deep sense of rhythm, Slick proudly embraces the role of sideman: serving the song, supporting the artist, and always bringing something unmistakably his own.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 

The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No How Creative Excellence Actually Works: Learning from Rich Mangicaro 16 16 How Creative Excellence Actually Works: Learning from Rich Mangicaro full c10abbe9-7fe8-43f4-8068-12b8b22f8261 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9c8487d1 Episode Summary

For more than four decades, percussionist, composer, producer, and artist-relations executive Rich Mangicaro has stood alongside some of music's most celebrated performers—including Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Venice, and many others. But as Rich explains, lasting musical careers aren't built on virtuosity alone. They're built on listening.

In this conversation, Rich reflects on learning groove with The Drifters, finding his place in Glenn Frey's band, building instruments with Gon Bops, composing music for film and television, and eventually discovering his own artistic voice after decades as one of Los Angeles' most respected sidemen.

Together we explore why percussion is about storytelling rather than timekeeping, what separates great musicians from merely talented ones, how the streaming era has transformed music, and why serving the song often matters more than standing in the spotlight.

This is a conversation about rhythm, humility, collaboration, and the quiet discipline of paying attention.

 

Episode Highlights

·      Growing up with Ringo, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms 

·      Learning groove from The Drifters 

·      Touring with Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh 

·      Why the best percussionists don't play the most notes 

·      Artist relations and designing instruments at Gon Bops 

·      COVID, creativity, and finding a personal compositional voice 

·      Streaming, physical media, and the economics of independent music 

·      Film music, Hans Zimmer, and why movie scores deserve respect 

·      Rick Rubin and listening as creative practice 

·      Why "you can't converse unless you listen"


Featured Music:

·      Amazonia (Travels) 

·      Flattening the Curve (Dialogues) 

·      The Way It Was (A Dream I Had)

All music used with permission


Memorable Moments

·      "My job wasn't to show everybody how good I was."

·      "You can't converse unless you listen."

·      "Music is conversation."

·      "Play what the music calls for."

·      "Our job is to make people dance."


About the Artist

Rich Mangicaro is a percussionist, composer, producer, music journalist, and artist-relations specialist whose career spans more than four decades at the highest levels of the music industry. Best known for his fifteen years performing with Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, Rich has also toured or recorded with artists including Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, Jeff Bridges, The Tubes, James Morrison, Jackson Browne, and the acclaimed vocal group Venice.

Away from the stage, Rich has become one of the percussion world's leading voices in artist relations, helping shape instrument design while working closely with generations of influential drummers and percussionists. He currently serves as Artist Relations Manager and Product Specialist for Gon Bops, where he also produces and hosts The Percussion Loft podcast.

As a composer, Rich creates immersive instrumental music that blends acoustic percussion, cinematic textures, and melodic storytelling. His three solo albums—Travels (2018), Dialogues (2022), and A Dream I Had (2024)—reflect a lifetime of listening, travel, collaboration, and creative curiosity. In recent years, he has also composed music for television, film, and commercial productions with longtime collaborator Jonathan Clark.

Whether performing, composing, producing, designing instruments, or mentoring fellow musicians, Rich approaches every role with the same philosophy expressed in this conversation: the greatest musicians are not those who play the most notes—they are the ones who listen the best.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. Until next time: stay curious, keep listening!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ https://buymeacoffee.com/scottcatey 

]]> Episode Summary

For more than four decades, percussionist, composer, producer, and artist-relations executive Rich Mangicaro has stood alongside some of music's most celebrated performers—including Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Venice, and many others. But as Rich explains, lasting musical careers aren't built on virtuosity alone. They're built on listening.

In this conversation, Rich reflects on learning groove with The Drifters, finding his place in Glenn Frey's band, building instruments with Gon Bops, composing music for film and television, and eventually discovering his own artistic voice after decades as one of Los Angeles' most respected sidemen.

Together we explore why percussion is about storytelling rather than timekeeping, what separates great musicians from merely talented ones, how the streaming era has transformed music, and why serving the song often matters more than standing in the spotlight.

This is a conversation about rhythm, humility, collaboration, and the quiet discipline of paying attention.

 

Episode Highlights

·      Growing up with Ringo, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms 

·      Learning groove from The Drifters 

·      Touring with Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh 

·      Why the best percussionists don't play the most notes 

·      Artist relations and designing instruments at Gon Bops 

·      COVID, creativity, and finding a personal compositional voice 

·      Streaming, physical media, and the economics of independent music 

·      Film music, Hans Zimmer, and why movie scores deserve respect 

·      Rick Rubin and listening as creative practice 

·      Why "you can't converse unless you listen"


Featured Music:

·      Amazonia (Travels) 

·      Flattening the Curve (Dialogues) 

·      The Way It Was (A Dream I Had)

All music used with permission


Memorable Moments

·      "My job wasn't to show everybody how good I was."

·      "You can't converse unless you listen."

·      "Music is conversation."

·      "Play what the music calls for."

·      "Our job is to make people dance."


About the Artist

Rich Mangicaro is a percussionist, composer, producer, music journalist, and artist-relations specialist whose career spans more than four decades at the highest levels of the music industry. Best known for his fifteen years performing with Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, Rich has also toured or recorded with artists including Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, Jeff Bridges, The Tubes, James Morrison, Jackson Browne, and the acclaimed vocal group Venice.

Away from the stage, Rich has become one of the percussion world's leading voices in artist relations, helping shape instrument design while working closely with generations of influential drummers and percussionists. He currently serves as Artist Relations Manager and Product Specialist for Gon Bops, where he also produces and hosts The Percussion Loft podcast.

As a composer, Rich creates immersive instrumental music that blends acoustic percussion, cinematic textures, and melodic storytelling. His three solo albums—Travels (2018), Dialogues (2022), and A Dream I Had (2024)—reflect a lifetime of listening, travel, collaboration, and creative curiosity. In recent years, he has also composed music for television, film, and commercial productions with longtime collaborator Jonathan Clark.

Whether performing, composing, producing, designing instruments, or mentoring fellow musicians, Rich approaches every role with the same philosophy expressed in this conversation: the greatest musicians are not those who play the most notes—they are the ones who listen the best.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. Until next time: stay curious, keep listening!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ https://buymeacoffee.com/scottcatey 

]]> Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4284 Episode Summary

For more than four decades, percussionist, composer, producer, and artist-relations executive Rich Mangicaro has stood alongside some of music's most celebrated performers—including Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Venice, and many others. But as Rich explains, lasting musical careers aren't built on virtuosity alone. They're built on listening.

In this conversation, Rich reflects on learning groove with The Drifters, finding his place in Glenn Frey's band, building instruments with Gon Bops, composing music for film and television, and eventually discovering his own artistic voice after decades as one of Los Angeles' most respected sidemen.

Together we explore why percussion is about storytelling rather than timekeeping, what separates great musicians from merely talented ones, how the streaming era has transformed music, and why serving the song often matters more than standing in the spotlight.

This is a conversation about rhythm, humility, collaboration, and the quiet discipline of paying attention.

 

Episode Highlights

·      Growing up with Ringo, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms 

·      Learning groove from The Drifters 

·      Touring with Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh 

·      Why the best percussionists don't play the most notes 

·      Artist relations and designing instruments at Gon Bops 

·      COVID, creativity, and finding a personal compositional voice 

·      Streaming, physical media, and the economics of independent music 

·      Film music, Hans Zimmer, and why movie scores deserve respect 

·      Rick Rubin and listening as creative practice 

·      Why "you can't converse unless you listen"


Featured Music:

·      Amazonia (Travels) 

·      Flattening the Curve (Dialogues) 

·      The Way It Was (A Dream I Had)

All music used with permission


Memorable Moments

·      "My job wasn't to show everybody how good I was."

·      "You can't converse unless you listen."

·      "Music is conversation."

·      "Play what the music calls for."

·      "Our job is to make people dance."


About the Artist

Rich Mangicaro is a percussionist, composer, producer, music journalist, and artist-relations specialist whose career spans more than four decades at the highest levels of the music industry. Best known for his fifteen years performing with Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, Rich has also toured or recorded with artists including Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, Jeff Bridges, The Tubes, James Morrison, Jackson Browne, and the acclaimed vocal group Venice.

Away from the stage, Rich has become one of the percussion world's leading voices in artist relations, helping shape instrument design while working closely with generations of influential drummers and percussionists. He currently serves as Artist Relations Manager and Product Specialist for Gon Bops, where he also produces and hosts The Percussion Loft podcast.

As a composer, Rich creates immersive instrumental music that blends acoustic percussion, cinematic textures, and melodic storytelling. His three solo albums—Travels (2018), Dialogues (2022), and A Dream I Had (2024)—reflect a lifetime of listening, travel, collaboration, and creative curiosity. In recent years, he has also composed music for television, film, and commercial productions with longtime collaborator Jonathan Clark.

Whether performing, composing, producing, designing instruments, or mentoring fellow musicians, Rich approaches every role with the same philosophy expressed in this conversation: the greatest musicians are not those who play the most notes—they are the ones who listen the best.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. Until next time: stay curious, keep listening!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ https://buymeacoffee.com/scottcatey 

]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No The Cheese Line: Tom Catmull on Songwriting & Staying Human 15 15 The Cheese Line: Tom Catmull on Songwriting & Staying Human full 88a52aa8-261d-4f0a-8fd6-e3b12a25f6e3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0e6ec7eb Over a career spanning—at this point—more than three decades, Tom Catmull has become one of the remarkable songwriters Montana is known for, not by chasing trends or fame, but by trusting his craft, his songs, and his audience.

In this conversation, Tom reflects on recording his latest album Last Resort, building a musical life, and the lessons that come from decades on stages large and small. Along the way he shares why great performances require musicians to "show their guts," how he avoids crossing what he calls the "cheese line," why words behave like colors, and how his songwriting has changed as he's grown older.

It's a thoughtful conversation about music, storytelling, authenticity, and what success looks like when connection matters more than celebrity.

Highlights

·      Recording a band honestly

·      The evolution of a songwriter

·      Missoula's changing music scene

·      House concerts and human connection

·      The "cheese line"

·      Words as musical material

·      Performance as intimacy

·      Why simplicity is difficult

·      Success beyond fame


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • L.O.L.A. Hello
  • Narrow
  • Puff of Smoke

All music is from the album Tom Catmull's Last Resort, released in December of 2025. All music is used with permission

Memorable Moments

·      "I hadn't put the sound of this band in a bottle."

·      "Open your trench coat and show your guts."

·      That's probably the headline quote.

·      "People long for connection."

·      "I always stay behind the cheese line."

·      "Words are colors."

·      "I listen as much to the way words sound as what they mean."

·      "The more money you make, the less fun you're going to have."

·      "I just want to play good shows."


About the Artist

Tom Catmull is an acclaimed Americana songwriter, originally from Texas, and now based in Missoula, Montana. His music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and long experience touring and performing, Tom has had a multifaceted life in music: he's shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel; he’s played countless theater, festival, and club shows; he's a para-educator, teaching others how to use music to communicate; and and he's built a career around one simple mission: getting exceptional music to you.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

Cover phot credit: Dan Bradner Photography: https://www.danbradner.com/   

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Over a career spanning—at this point—more than three decades, Tom Catmull has become one of the remarkable songwriters Montana is known for, not by chasing trends or fame, but by trusting his craft, his songs, and his audience.

In this conversation, Tom reflects on recording his latest album Last Resort, building a musical life, and the lessons that come from decades on stages large and small. Along the way he shares why great performances require musicians to "show their guts," how he avoids crossing what he calls the "cheese line," why words behave like colors, and how his songwriting has changed as he's grown older.

It's a thoughtful conversation about music, storytelling, authenticity, and what success looks like when connection matters more than celebrity.

Highlights

·      Recording a band honestly

·      The evolution of a songwriter

·      Missoula's changing music scene

·      House concerts and human connection

·      The "cheese line"

·      Words as musical material

·      Performance as intimacy

·      Why simplicity is difficult

·      Success beyond fame


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • L.O.L.A. Hello
  • Narrow
  • Puff of Smoke

All music is from the album Tom Catmull's Last Resort, released in December of 2025. All music is used with permission

Memorable Moments

·      "I hadn't put the sound of this band in a bottle."

·      "Open your trench coat and show your guts."

·      That's probably the headline quote.

·      "People long for connection."

·      "I always stay behind the cheese line."

·      "Words are colors."

·      "I listen as much to the way words sound as what they mean."

·      "The more money you make, the less fun you're going to have."

·      "I just want to play good shows."


About the Artist

Tom Catmull is an acclaimed Americana songwriter, originally from Texas, and now based in Missoula, Montana. His music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and long experience touring and performing, Tom has had a multifaceted life in music: he's shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel; he’s played countless theater, festival, and club shows; he's a para-educator, teaching others how to use music to communicate; and and he's built a career around one simple mission: getting exceptional music to you.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

Cover phot credit: Dan Bradner Photography: https://www.danbradner.com/   

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4094 Over a career spanning—at this point—more than three decades, Tom Catmull has become one of the remarkable songwriters Montana is known for, not by chasing trends or fame, but by trusting his craft, his songs, and his audience.

In this conversation, Tom reflects on recording his latest album Last Resort, building a musical life, and the lessons that come from decades on stages large and small. Along the way he shares why great performances require musicians to "show their guts," how he avoids crossing what he calls the "cheese line," why words behave like colors, and how his songwriting has changed as he's grown older.

It's a thoughtful conversation about music, storytelling, authenticity, and what success looks like when connection matters more than celebrity.

Highlights

·      Recording a band honestly

·      The evolution of a songwriter

·      Missoula's changing music scene

·      House concerts and human connection

·      The "cheese line"

·      Words as musical material

·      Performance as intimacy

·      Why simplicity is difficult

·      Success beyond fame


Music Featured in this Episode:

  • L.O.L.A. Hello
  • Narrow
  • Puff of Smoke

All music is from the album Tom Catmull's Last Resort, released in December of 2025. All music is used with permission

Memorable Moments

·      "I hadn't put the sound of this band in a bottle."

·      "Open your trench coat and show your guts."

·      That's probably the headline quote.

·      "People long for connection."

·      "I always stay behind the cheese line."

·      "Words are colors."

·      "I listen as much to the way words sound as what they mean."

·      "The more money you make, the less fun you're going to have."

·      "I just want to play good shows."


About the Artist

Tom Catmull is an acclaimed Americana songwriter, originally from Texas, and now based in Missoula, Montana. His music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and long experience touring and performing, Tom has had a multifaceted life in music: he's shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel; he’s played countless theater, festival, and club shows; he's a para-educator, teaching others how to use music to communicate; and and he's built a career around one simple mission: getting exceptional music to you.

Connect with the Artist

Links:

Cover phot credit: Dan Bradner Photography: https://www.danbradner.com/   

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is inspired by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Always Almost Famous: Earl Okin on Creativity, Music, Success, and How Craft Matters 14 14 Always Almost Famous: Earl Okin on Creativity, Music, Success, and How Craft Matters full 92187693-43f7-4a6f-be30-28efde852e5a https://share.transistor.fm/s/b3564823 What does a lifetime in music actually look like?

For singer, songwriter, guitarist, comedian, and raconteur Earl Okin, it begins with a wind-up gramophone at the age of three and unfolds across more than seven decades of listening, performing, writing, and constantly refining the craft.

In this conversation, Earl reflects on a remarkable musical journey that has carried him from postwar London to Abbey Road Studios, from touring with Paul McCartney and Wings and Van Morrison to sharing stages with folk, rock, pop, and jazz legends, all while building a career that defies easy categorization.

Along the way, he reveals how songs are really written, why Peggy Lee changed the way he hears and performs music, what João Gilberto taught him about bossa nova, and why the greatest artists are often their own harshest critics.

Join us for a rewarding conversation about creative persistence, living one step ahead of the cultural curve, how to give your craft the right attention, and what it means to spend a career making, living, and loving music.

In this episode

  • A postwar London childhood spent with a gramophone and collecting 78s
  • Discovering opera, jazz, and the Great American Songbook
  • Recording at Abbey Road in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper
  • Touring the UK with Paul McCartney and Wings
  • Life on the road with Van Morrison
  • How songs emerge from instinct, craft, and “finding the gold”
  • Learning bossa nova from the Brazilian masters
  • Phrasing or virtuosity? What matters most?
  • Perfectionism, practice, and the lifelong pursuit of better performances
  • The great musicians aren’t always the famous ones
  • Writing an autobiography through stories rather than chronology
  • Continuing to compose, tour, perform, and create memorable music into his eighth decade

Featured Music

In order:

  • “London Now” 
  • “Time”
  • “Yesterday’s Wine”

All music used with permission. 

Memorable Quote

“You’re playing, and just a lot of clichés come out of your mouth... then suddenly there’s a little bit of gold. You take it, polish it, and eventually it becomes a song.”

About Earl Okin

Earl Okin is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, arranger, comedian, and broadcaster whose career spans more than sixty years. Blending jazz, bossa nova, classic songwriting, and sharply observed humor, he has toured internationally, appeared on major television programs, shared stages with legendary musicians, and continues to write, record, and perform today.

His work reminds us that music is not only a profession or a performance; it is a lifelong practice of listening.

Connect with Earl Okin

Links:

In addition, a documentary is in the works, you can find a trailer and excerpts at the following links:

·       Trailer for Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OirbKMmPB3M

·       Extended Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyMJPsmaLZs

·       Additional  Clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPn_vZc_k8

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is animated by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> What does a lifetime in music actually look like?

For singer, songwriter, guitarist, comedian, and raconteur Earl Okin, it begins with a wind-up gramophone at the age of three and unfolds across more than seven decades of listening, performing, writing, and constantly refining the craft.

In this conversation, Earl reflects on a remarkable musical journey that has carried him from postwar London to Abbey Road Studios, from touring with Paul McCartney and Wings and Van Morrison to sharing stages with folk, rock, pop, and jazz legends, all while building a career that defies easy categorization.

Along the way, he reveals how songs are really written, why Peggy Lee changed the way he hears and performs music, what João Gilberto taught him about bossa nova, and why the greatest artists are often their own harshest critics.

Join us for a rewarding conversation about creative persistence, living one step ahead of the cultural curve, how to give your craft the right attention, and what it means to spend a career making, living, and loving music.

In this episode

  • A postwar London childhood spent with a gramophone and collecting 78s
  • Discovering opera, jazz, and the Great American Songbook
  • Recording at Abbey Road in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper
  • Touring the UK with Paul McCartney and Wings
  • Life on the road with Van Morrison
  • How songs emerge from instinct, craft, and “finding the gold”
  • Learning bossa nova from the Brazilian masters
  • Phrasing or virtuosity? What matters most?
  • Perfectionism, practice, and the lifelong pursuit of better performances
  • The great musicians aren’t always the famous ones
  • Writing an autobiography through stories rather than chronology
  • Continuing to compose, tour, perform, and create memorable music into his eighth decade

Featured Music

In order:

  • “London Now” 
  • “Time”
  • “Yesterday’s Wine”

All music used with permission. 

Memorable Quote

“You’re playing, and just a lot of clichés come out of your mouth... then suddenly there’s a little bit of gold. You take it, polish it, and eventually it becomes a song.”

About Earl Okin

Earl Okin is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, arranger, comedian, and broadcaster whose career spans more than sixty years. Blending jazz, bossa nova, classic songwriting, and sharply observed humor, he has toured internationally, appeared on major television programs, shared stages with legendary musicians, and continues to write, record, and perform today.

His work reminds us that music is not only a profession or a performance; it is a lifelong practice of listening.

Connect with Earl Okin

Links:

In addition, a documentary is in the works, you can find a trailer and excerpts at the following links:

·       Trailer for Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OirbKMmPB3M

·       Extended Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyMJPsmaLZs

·       Additional  Clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPn_vZc_k8

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is animated by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4252 What does a lifetime in music actually look like?

For singer, songwriter, guitarist, comedian, and raconteur Earl Okin, it begins with a wind-up gramophone at the age of three and unfolds across more than seven decades of listening, performing, writing, and constantly refining the craft.

In this conversation, Earl reflects on a remarkable musical journey that has carried him from postwar London to Abbey Road Studios, from touring with Paul McCartney and Wings and Van Morrison to sharing stages with folk, rock, pop, and jazz legends, all while building a career that defies easy categorization.

Along the way, he reveals how songs are really written, why Peggy Lee changed the way he hears and performs music, what João Gilberto taught him about bossa nova, and why the greatest artists are often their own harshest critics.

Join us for a rewarding conversation about creative persistence, living one step ahead of the cultural curve, how to give your craft the right attention, and what it means to spend a career making, living, and loving music.

In this episode

  • A postwar London childhood spent with a gramophone and collecting 78s
  • Discovering opera, jazz, and the Great American Songbook
  • Recording at Abbey Road in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper
  • Touring the UK with Paul McCartney and Wings
  • Life on the road with Van Morrison
  • How songs emerge from instinct, craft, and “finding the gold”
  • Learning bossa nova from the Brazilian masters
  • Phrasing or virtuosity? What matters most?
  • Perfectionism, practice, and the lifelong pursuit of better performances
  • The great musicians aren’t always the famous ones
  • Writing an autobiography through stories rather than chronology
  • Continuing to compose, tour, perform, and create memorable music into his eighth decade

Featured Music

In order:

  • “London Now” 
  • “Time”
  • “Yesterday’s Wine”

All music used with permission. 

Memorable Quote

“You’re playing, and just a lot of clichés come out of your mouth... then suddenly there’s a little bit of gold. You take it, polish it, and eventually it becomes a song.”

About Earl Okin

Earl Okin is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, arranger, comedian, and broadcaster whose career spans more than sixty years. Blending jazz, bossa nova, classic songwriting, and sharply observed humor, he has toured internationally, appeared on major television programs, shared stages with legendary musicians, and continues to write, record, and perform today.

His work reminds us that music is not only a profession or a performance; it is a lifelong practice of listening.

Connect with Earl Okin

Links:

In addition, a documentary is in the works, you can find a trailer and excerpts at the following links:

·       Trailer for Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OirbKMmPB3M

·       Extended Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyMJPsmaLZs

·       Additional  Clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPn_vZc_k8

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is animated by two ideas: 

·      Music IS the sum of all wisdom, and 

·      Music is humanity’s oldest way of knowing ourselves, each other, and the world. 


The show offers long-form, reflective conversations with musicians and related professionals who have spent a lifetime honing their craft, and whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making music as a way of making a living.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No “Everything I do is to be of service”: Butch Norton on Listening as a creative act 13 13 “Everything I do is to be of service”: Butch Norton on Listening as a creative act full 46113184-c162-4e9e-a24f-5d016f9d898b https://share.transistor.fm/s/73d1e675 What does it mean to be a musician in service of others?

Butch Norton has spent a lifetime making other people sound their best.

Over the course of a career spanning more than five decades, he's performed and recorded with artists including Lucinda Williams, Eels, Tracy Chapman, Lowen & Navarro, and many others, while also building an extraordinary body of work as a percussionist, educator, improviser, and collaborator.

But behind the impressive résumé lies a deeper philosophy.

In this conversation, Butch reflects on what it means to be of service—to songs, to fellow musicians, to dancers, and ultimately to the creative process itself. Along the way, we explore his early years growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, his transformative education at the California Institute of the Arts under legendary percussionist John Bergamo, and the experiences that shaped his unique approach to rhythm, movement, improvisation, and listening.

Our conversation ranges from touring with Lucinda Williams and helping launch The Eels, to accompanying modern dance and yoga classes, building percussion instruments from unlikely materials, and even creating an impressive—and unexpected—customized rain stick. Throughout it all, Butch returns to some straightforward ideas: Listen. Pay attention. Stay curious. Try something new.

Whether he's laying down a groove, supporting a singer-songwriter, responding to a room full of dancers, or encouraging younger musicians to embrace mistakes as opportunities, Butch reminds us that great musicianship is rooted not in virtuosity alone, but in curiosity, generosity, and deep listening.

This is a conversation about rhythm, perception, collaboration, and the lifelong practice of staying open to surprise.

In this episode

  • Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a remarkable musical era
  • Discovering percussion after seeing Ringo Starr on The Ed Sullivan Show
  • Learning from Anthony Cerone, Charles Dowd, and John Bergamo
  • How CalArts reshaped his understanding of music, improvisation, and collaboration
  • Launching his professional touring career with Lowen & Navarro
  • Joining E and helping form what would become Eels
  • Recording Beautiful Freak and Electro-Shock Blues
  • Seventeen years touring and recording with Lucinda Williams
  • Why great accompanists learn to serve the music rather than themselves
  • Performing with modern dancers and yoga practitioners
  • Groove, movement, and the science of entrainment
  • Improvisation, experimentation, and escaping creative habits
  • Building percussion instruments from found objects—including some very surprising source material
  • Why mistakes are often the beginning of discovery

Memorable moments

·      "Everything I do is to be of service."

·      "Don't get stuck doing the same things over and over."

·      "Something magical always happens."

·      "Break out of your normal patterns."


Connect with the Artist

Links:

Mentioned in this episode


Artists & Bands

  • Lucinda Williams
  • Eels
  • E
  • Lowen & Navarro
  • Pat Benatar
  • Tower of Power
  • Tommy Bolin
  • Billy Cobham
  • James Brown
  • The Beatles
  • John Bergamo
  • Anthony Cerone
  • Charles Dowd
  • David Garibaldi
  • Mickey Hart
  • Harry Partch
  • John Cage
  • Jeff Tripoli

Other People

Concepts

  • Entrainment
  • Groove
  • Improvisation
  • Modern dance
  • Yoga
  • World percussion
  • Listening
  • Collaboration
  • Creative experimentation


Explore more

Visit TheSumOfAllWisdom.com for the complete transcript, companion essays, Field Notes, and the Listening Room for this episode, where you'll find additional resources, links, and further exploration of the ideas discussed here.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the episode with someone who loves music, creativity, and the stories behind the craft.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning grew from two simple ideas: 

1.     Music is the sum of all wisdom

2.     Music is humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world.


From there, we dedicated our work to long-form, reflective conversations with master craftspeople who write, make, play, and perform music. The work they do brings meaning, builds community, and creates profound cultural impact. We want to know more about how they do it. That’s the reason for the show. 

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If the conversation resonates with you, we hope you’ll consider subscribing, liking, and sharing it—and carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> What does it mean to be a musician in service of others?

Butch Norton has spent a lifetime making other people sound their best.

Over the course of a career spanning more than five decades, he's performed and recorded with artists including Lucinda Williams, Eels, Tracy Chapman, Lowen & Navarro, and many others, while also building an extraordinary body of work as a percussionist, educator, improviser, and collaborator.

But behind the impressive résumé lies a deeper philosophy.

In this conversation, Butch reflects on what it means to be of service—to songs, to fellow musicians, to dancers, and ultimately to the creative process itself. Along the way, we explore his early years growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, his transformative education at the California Institute of the Arts under legendary percussionist John Bergamo, and the experiences that shaped his unique approach to rhythm, movement, improvisation, and listening.

Our conversation ranges from touring with Lucinda Williams and helping launch The Eels, to accompanying modern dance and yoga classes, building percussion instruments from unlikely materials, and even creating an impressive—and unexpected—customized rain stick. Throughout it all, Butch returns to some straightforward ideas: Listen. Pay attention. Stay curious. Try something new.

Whether he's laying down a groove, supporting a singer-songwriter, responding to a room full of dancers, or encouraging younger musicians to embrace mistakes as opportunities, Butch reminds us that great musicianship is rooted not in virtuosity alone, but in curiosity, generosity, and deep listening.

This is a conversation about rhythm, perception, collaboration, and the lifelong practice of staying open to surprise.

In this episode

  • Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a remarkable musical era
  • Discovering percussion after seeing Ringo Starr on The Ed Sullivan Show
  • Learning from Anthony Cerone, Charles Dowd, and John Bergamo
  • How CalArts reshaped his understanding of music, improvisation, and collaboration
  • Launching his professional touring career with Lowen & Navarro
  • Joining E and helping form what would become Eels
  • Recording Beautiful Freak and Electro-Shock Blues
  • Seventeen years touring and recording with Lucinda Williams
  • Why great accompanists learn to serve the music rather than themselves
  • Performing with modern dancers and yoga practitioners
  • Groove, movement, and the science of entrainment
  • Improvisation, experimentation, and escaping creative habits
  • Building percussion instruments from found objects—including some very surprising source material
  • Why mistakes are often the beginning of discovery

Memorable moments

·      "Everything I do is to be of service."

·      "Don't get stuck doing the same things over and over."

·      "Something magical always happens."

·      "Break out of your normal patterns."


Connect with the Artist

Links:

Mentioned in this episode


Artists & Bands

  • Lucinda Williams
  • Eels
  • E
  • Lowen & Navarro
  • Pat Benatar
  • Tower of Power
  • Tommy Bolin
  • Billy Cobham
  • James Brown
  • The Beatles
  • John Bergamo
  • Anthony Cerone
  • Charles Dowd
  • David Garibaldi
  • Mickey Hart
  • Harry Partch
  • John Cage
  • Jeff Tripoli

Other People

Concepts

  • Entrainment
  • Groove
  • Improvisation
  • Modern dance
  • Yoga
  • World percussion
  • Listening
  • Collaboration
  • Creative experimentation


Explore more

Visit TheSumOfAllWisdom.com for the complete transcript, companion essays, Field Notes, and the Listening Room for this episode, where you'll find additional resources, links, and further exploration of the ideas discussed here.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the episode with someone who loves music, creativity, and the stories behind the craft.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning grew from two simple ideas: 

1.     Music is the sum of all wisdom

2.     Music is humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world.


From there, we dedicated our work to long-form, reflective conversations with master craftspeople who write, make, play, and perform music. The work they do brings meaning, builds community, and creates profound cultural impact. We want to know more about how they do it. That’s the reason for the show. 

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If the conversation resonates with you, we hope you’ll consider subscribing, liking, and sharing it—and carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4186 What does it mean to be a musician in service of others?

Butch Norton has spent a lifetime making other people sound their best.

Over the course of a career spanning more than five decades, he's performed and recorded with artists including Lucinda Williams, Eels, Tracy Chapman, Lowen & Navarro, and many others, while also building an extraordinary body of work as a percussionist, educator, improviser, and collaborator.

But behind the impressive résumé lies a deeper philosophy.

In this conversation, Butch reflects on what it means to be of service—to songs, to fellow musicians, to dancers, and ultimately to the creative process itself. Along the way, we explore his early years growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, his transformative education at the California Institute of the Arts under legendary percussionist John Bergamo, and the experiences that shaped his unique approach to rhythm, movement, improvisation, and listening.

Our conversation ranges from touring with Lucinda Williams and helping launch The Eels, to accompanying modern dance and yoga classes, building percussion instruments from unlikely materials, and even creating an impressive—and unexpected—customized rain stick. Throughout it all, Butch returns to some straightforward ideas: Listen. Pay attention. Stay curious. Try something new.

Whether he's laying down a groove, supporting a singer-songwriter, responding to a room full of dancers, or encouraging younger musicians to embrace mistakes as opportunities, Butch reminds us that great musicianship is rooted not in virtuosity alone, but in curiosity, generosity, and deep listening.

This is a conversation about rhythm, perception, collaboration, and the lifelong practice of staying open to surprise.

In this episode

  • Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a remarkable musical era
  • Discovering percussion after seeing Ringo Starr on The Ed Sullivan Show
  • Learning from Anthony Cerone, Charles Dowd, and John Bergamo
  • How CalArts reshaped his understanding of music, improvisation, and collaboration
  • Launching his professional touring career with Lowen & Navarro
  • Joining E and helping form what would become Eels
  • Recording Beautiful Freak and Electro-Shock Blues
  • Seventeen years touring and recording with Lucinda Williams
  • Why great accompanists learn to serve the music rather than themselves
  • Performing with modern dancers and yoga practitioners
  • Groove, movement, and the science of entrainment
  • Improvisation, experimentation, and escaping creative habits
  • Building percussion instruments from found objects—including some very surprising source material
  • Why mistakes are often the beginning of discovery

Memorable moments

·      "Everything I do is to be of service."

·      "Don't get stuck doing the same things over and over."

·      "Something magical always happens."

·      "Break out of your normal patterns."


Connect with the Artist

Links:

Mentioned in this episode


Artists & Bands

  • Lucinda Williams
  • Eels
  • E
  • Lowen & Navarro
  • Pat Benatar
  • Tower of Power
  • Tommy Bolin
  • Billy Cobham
  • James Brown
  • The Beatles
  • John Bergamo
  • Anthony Cerone
  • Charles Dowd
  • David Garibaldi
  • Mickey Hart
  • Harry Partch
  • John Cage
  • Jeff Tripoli

Other People

Concepts

  • Entrainment
  • Groove
  • Improvisation
  • Modern dance
  • Yoga
  • World percussion
  • Listening
  • Collaboration
  • Creative experimentation


Explore more

Visit TheSumOfAllWisdom.com for the complete transcript, companion essays, Field Notes, and the Listening Room for this episode, where you'll find additional resources, links, and further exploration of the ideas discussed here.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the episode with someone who loves music, creativity, and the stories behind the craft.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning grew from two simple ideas: 

1.     Music is the sum of all wisdom

2.     Music is humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world.


From there, we dedicated our work to long-form, reflective conversations with master craftspeople who write, make, play, and perform music. The work they do brings meaning, builds community, and creates profound cultural impact. We want to know more about how they do it. That’s the reason for the show. 

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If the conversation resonates with you, we hope you’ll consider subscribing, liking, and sharing it—and carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Butch Norton, Lucinda Williams, Eels, percussion, drummer, music podcast, creativity, improvisation, music interview, musicians, collaboration, listening, creative process No “It’s Not Factual, But It’s True”: A Conversation with Robyn Hitchcock 12 12 “It’s Not Factual, But It’s True”: A Conversation with Robyn Hitchcock full 5d5ac2a6-ab5a-4be5-9879-dd9d3120b946 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0e484aae Few songwriters have constructed imaginative worlds as distinctive, or as enduring, as Robyn Hitchcock. Across more than five decades, his songs have blurred the boundaries between memory and myth, humor and melancholy, everyday observation and surreal revelation. With the publication of his remarkable new memoir Stranded in the Future and the release of his new album The Confuser, it seemed the perfect moment to explore not simply Hitchcock's work, but the imaginative life from which it springs.

Across more than fifty years—from The Soft Boys through his remarkable solo career—Hitchcock has cultivated a body of work where surreal imagery, humor, memory, obsession, and startling emotional honesty coexist in songs that continue to reward close listening.

In this conversation, Scott Catey and guest co-host Andrew Hunt sit down with Hitchcock to discuss his acclaimed new memoir Stranded in the Future, his first memoir 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, both published by Akashic Books, and his forthcoming album The Confuser, on the Tony Ghost label. The conversation ranges from songwriting, memory, and technology, to creativity and the peculiar relationship between memoir and imagination.

Rather than treating songs as coded autobiography, Hitchcock describes how music grows from memory, mythmaking, and what he calls “hybrids”—real people transformed into constituents of his imaginative landscapes, from which his songs emerge. Along the way, the conversation explores boarding school, Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, Nashville, mortality, artistic obsession, and the strange ways each of us becomes a custodian of disappearing worlds.

Whether you’re a longtime Hitchcock devotee or discovering his work for the first time, this episode offers a rare look inside one of popular music’s most singular creative minds.


In this episode

  • Why Hitchcock says he “never left” 1967 
  • Winchester College and discovering Dylan, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and more 
  • The difference between factual truth and emotional truth 
  • Why “a song is about itself” 
  • Mr. A, Mr. B., and Ms. C.: obsession, mythology, and creative life 
  • Memoir as reconstruction rather than chronology 
  • Writing books on an iPhone in the middle of the night 
  • Why creativity is essential to mental health 
  • Building The Confuser with Nashville musicians 
  • The enduring influence of The Beatles 
  • The relationship between songs, memory, and identity 
  • Why Hitchcock keeps writing 


Books discussed

1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left

Published in 2024 by Akashic Books.

An evocative memoir of Hitchcock’s fourteenth year, when boarding school, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and the cultural upheavals of the late 1960s permanently shaped his imagination. More than an autobiography, it is an exploration of the year that became Hitchcock’s enduring creative homeland.

Stranded in the Future

Published July 2026 by Akashic Books.

Picking up where 1967 leaves off, Stranded in the Future follows Hitchcock from 1968-1978, the years leading to The Soft Boys while exploring memory, artistic obsession, and the self-mythology that Hitchcock created around the figures who shaped his life. Rather than a conventional memoir, it reads as an imaginative reconstruction of consciousness itself.


Forthcoming Album

The Confuser

Hitchcock’s newest studio album finds him embracing one of the strongest ensemble recordings of his career. Recorded in Nashville with Eric Slick, Todd Bolden, Jeremy Fetzer, Pat Berkery, and a remarkable circle of collaborators, The Confuser combines the melodic adventurousness and lyrical imagination that have long defined Hitchcock’s work with a fresh, deeply collaborative musical chemistry.

During our conversation, Hitchcock repeatedly credits his wife, Emma Swift, as the catalyst behind this creative chapter. It was Swift who encouraged him to record in Nashville, introduced him to key collaborators, urged him to begin writing his memoirs, and continues to serve as producer, tour manager, label partner at Tiny Ghost Records, and what Hitchcock affectionately describes as the “psychic glue” holding the entire enterprise together. The result is an album that feels simultaneously rooted in Hitchcock’s long musical journey and energized by an entirely new creative community. 


Follow Robyn Hitchcock


Akashic Books


About Akashic Books

Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based publisher known for literary fiction, memoir, noir fiction, music writing, and culturally adventurous nonfiction. Since its founding in 1996, Akashic has built a reputation for publishing distinctive voices that often fall outside mainstream commercial categories—making it an especially fitting home for Hitchcock’s memoirs.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The show is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Few songwriters have constructed imaginative worlds as distinctive, or as enduring, as Robyn Hitchcock. Across more than five decades, his songs have blurred the boundaries between memory and myth, humor and melancholy, everyday observation and surreal revelation. With the publication of his remarkable new memoir Stranded in the Future and the release of his new album The Confuser, it seemed the perfect moment to explore not simply Hitchcock's work, but the imaginative life from which it springs.

Across more than fifty years—from The Soft Boys through his remarkable solo career—Hitchcock has cultivated a body of work where surreal imagery, humor, memory, obsession, and startling emotional honesty coexist in songs that continue to reward close listening.

In this conversation, Scott Catey and guest co-host Andrew Hunt sit down with Hitchcock to discuss his acclaimed new memoir Stranded in the Future, his first memoir 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, both published by Akashic Books, and his forthcoming album The Confuser, on the Tony Ghost label. The conversation ranges from songwriting, memory, and technology, to creativity and the peculiar relationship between memoir and imagination.

Rather than treating songs as coded autobiography, Hitchcock describes how music grows from memory, mythmaking, and what he calls “hybrids”—real people transformed into constituents of his imaginative landscapes, from which his songs emerge. Along the way, the conversation explores boarding school, Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, Nashville, mortality, artistic obsession, and the strange ways each of us becomes a custodian of disappearing worlds.

Whether you’re a longtime Hitchcock devotee or discovering his work for the first time, this episode offers a rare look inside one of popular music’s most singular creative minds.


In this episode

  • Why Hitchcock says he “never left” 1967 
  • Winchester College and discovering Dylan, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and more 
  • The difference between factual truth and emotional truth 
  • Why “a song is about itself” 
  • Mr. A, Mr. B., and Ms. C.: obsession, mythology, and creative life 
  • Memoir as reconstruction rather than chronology 
  • Writing books on an iPhone in the middle of the night 
  • Why creativity is essential to mental health 
  • Building The Confuser with Nashville musicians 
  • The enduring influence of The Beatles 
  • The relationship between songs, memory, and identity 
  • Why Hitchcock keeps writing 


Books discussed

1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left

Published in 2024 by Akashic Books.

An evocative memoir of Hitchcock’s fourteenth year, when boarding school, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and the cultural upheavals of the late 1960s permanently shaped his imagination. More than an autobiography, it is an exploration of the year that became Hitchcock’s enduring creative homeland.

Stranded in the Future

Published July 2026 by Akashic Books.

Picking up where 1967 leaves off, Stranded in the Future follows Hitchcock from 1968-1978, the years leading to The Soft Boys while exploring memory, artistic obsession, and the self-mythology that Hitchcock created around the figures who shaped his life. Rather than a conventional memoir, it reads as an imaginative reconstruction of consciousness itself.


Forthcoming Album

The Confuser

Hitchcock’s newest studio album finds him embracing one of the strongest ensemble recordings of his career. Recorded in Nashville with Eric Slick, Todd Bolden, Jeremy Fetzer, Pat Berkery, and a remarkable circle of collaborators, The Confuser combines the melodic adventurousness and lyrical imagination that have long defined Hitchcock’s work with a fresh, deeply collaborative musical chemistry.

During our conversation, Hitchcock repeatedly credits his wife, Emma Swift, as the catalyst behind this creative chapter. It was Swift who encouraged him to record in Nashville, introduced him to key collaborators, urged him to begin writing his memoirs, and continues to serve as producer, tour manager, label partner at Tiny Ghost Records, and what Hitchcock affectionately describes as the “psychic glue” holding the entire enterprise together. The result is an album that feels simultaneously rooted in Hitchcock’s long musical journey and energized by an entirely new creative community. 


Follow Robyn Hitchcock


Akashic Books


About Akashic Books

Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based publisher known for literary fiction, memoir, noir fiction, music writing, and culturally adventurous nonfiction. Since its founding in 1996, Akashic has built a reputation for publishing distinctive voices that often fall outside mainstream commercial categories—making it an especially fitting home for Hitchcock’s memoirs.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The show is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4839 Few songwriters have constructed imaginative worlds as distinctive, or as enduring, as Robyn Hitchcock. Across more than five decades, his songs have blurred the boundaries between memory and myth, humor and melancholy, everyday observation and surreal revelation. With the publication of his remarkable new memoir Stranded in the Future and the release of his new album The Confuser, it seemed the perfect moment to explore not simply Hitchcock's work, but the imaginative life from which it springs.

Across more than fifty years—from The Soft Boys through his remarkable solo career—Hitchcock has cultivated a body of work where surreal imagery, humor, memory, obsession, and startling emotional honesty coexist in songs that continue to reward close listening.

In this conversation, Scott Catey and guest co-host Andrew Hunt sit down with Hitchcock to discuss his acclaimed new memoir Stranded in the Future, his first memoir 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, both published by Akashic Books, and his forthcoming album The Confuser, on the Tony Ghost label. The conversation ranges from songwriting, memory, and technology, to creativity and the peculiar relationship between memoir and imagination.

Rather than treating songs as coded autobiography, Hitchcock describes how music grows from memory, mythmaking, and what he calls “hybrids”—real people transformed into constituents of his imaginative landscapes, from which his songs emerge. Along the way, the conversation explores boarding school, Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, Nashville, mortality, artistic obsession, and the strange ways each of us becomes a custodian of disappearing worlds.

Whether you’re a longtime Hitchcock devotee or discovering his work for the first time, this episode offers a rare look inside one of popular music’s most singular creative minds.


In this episode

  • Why Hitchcock says he “never left” 1967 
  • Winchester College and discovering Dylan, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and more 
  • The difference between factual truth and emotional truth 
  • Why “a song is about itself” 
  • Mr. A, Mr. B., and Ms. C.: obsession, mythology, and creative life 
  • Memoir as reconstruction rather than chronology 
  • Writing books on an iPhone in the middle of the night 
  • Why creativity is essential to mental health 
  • Building The Confuser with Nashville musicians 
  • The enduring influence of The Beatles 
  • The relationship between songs, memory, and identity 
  • Why Hitchcock keeps writing 


Books discussed

1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left

Published in 2024 by Akashic Books.

An evocative memoir of Hitchcock’s fourteenth year, when boarding school, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and the cultural upheavals of the late 1960s permanently shaped his imagination. More than an autobiography, it is an exploration of the year that became Hitchcock’s enduring creative homeland.

Stranded in the Future

Published July 2026 by Akashic Books.

Picking up where 1967 leaves off, Stranded in the Future follows Hitchcock from 1968-1978, the years leading to The Soft Boys while exploring memory, artistic obsession, and the self-mythology that Hitchcock created around the figures who shaped his life. Rather than a conventional memoir, it reads as an imaginative reconstruction of consciousness itself.


Forthcoming Album

The Confuser

Hitchcock’s newest studio album finds him embracing one of the strongest ensemble recordings of his career. Recorded in Nashville with Eric Slick, Todd Bolden, Jeremy Fetzer, Pat Berkery, and a remarkable circle of collaborators, The Confuser combines the melodic adventurousness and lyrical imagination that have long defined Hitchcock’s work with a fresh, deeply collaborative musical chemistry.

During our conversation, Hitchcock repeatedly credits his wife, Emma Swift, as the catalyst behind this creative chapter. It was Swift who encouraged him to record in Nashville, introduced him to key collaborators, urged him to begin writing his memoirs, and continues to serve as producer, tour manager, label partner at Tiny Ghost Records, and what Hitchcock affectionately describes as the “psychic glue” holding the entire enterprise together. The result is an album that feels simultaneously rooted in Hitchcock’s long musical journey and energized by an entirely new creative community. 


Follow Robyn Hitchcock


Akashic Books


About Akashic Books

Akashic Books is an independent Brooklyn-based publisher known for literary fiction, memoir, noir fiction, music writing, and culturally adventurous nonfiction. Since its founding in 1996, Akashic has built a reputation for publishing distinctive voices that often fall outside mainstream commercial categories—making it an especially fitting home for Hitchcock’s memoirs.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The show is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No What is Art For in an Age of Distraction? Matthias Sturm on the Art of Paying Attention 11 11 What is Art For in an Age of Distraction? Matthias Sturm on the Art of Paying Attention full 9fcd626a-8c38-4e32-abfe-8130bd238063 https://share.transistor.fm/s/1d8ac3ec Matthias Sturm: Music, Memory, & the Future of Listening

What happens to art when attention becomes scarce?

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with East Germany-born, Paris-based composer, songwriter, and visual artist Matthias Sturm for a wide-ranging conversation about music, memory, politics, and the future of creative work.

Having grown up in Dresden, in East Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Matthias reflects on life under surveillance, discovering Western music behind the Iron Curtain, and how those experiences continue to shape his songwriting decades later. Along the way, he shares stories of underground cassette culture, punk, jazz, Prince, Depeche Mode, and the surprising ways music crossed political borders.

The conversation then turns toward larger questions. What happens when streaming platforms transform artists into “content creators”? Can meaningful music—or any art—survive an attention economy built on distraction? And how should artists respond to artificial intelligence, algorithms, and a culture increasingly driven by speed rather than reflection?

Throughout, Matthias argues for something increasingly rare: art that asks us not simply to hear, but to listen.

This is a conversation about history, creativity, and why slowing down may be one of the most radical things music can still ask of us.

Highlights

  • Growing up in East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell
  • Living under surveillance and discovering artistic community
  • Punk, cassette culture, and youth music behind the Iron Curtain
  • Why Prince, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode mattered in Dresden
  • Building concept albums as immersive worlds
  • The influence of Bach, literature, and “dark songwriting”
  • Touring internationally while balancing family life
  • AI, algorithms, and the shrinking attention span
  • Streaming, independent artists, and the economics of music
  • Why music should be more than content

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Peace on Earth
  • All Beauty Must Die
  • Puppet Robe Anthem

All music used with permission

Memorable Moments


“How do you create art and music for people who are no longer able to pay attention?”

“Imagine you’re born in a country which doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I’m not a content creator. I’m an artist.”

Connect with the Artist


Music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world. This episode invites us to slow down long enough to remember why. Follow these links to learn more about Matthias and his work. 

Links:

About the Show


The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Matthias Sturm: Music, Memory, & the Future of Listening

What happens to art when attention becomes scarce?

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with East Germany-born, Paris-based composer, songwriter, and visual artist Matthias Sturm for a wide-ranging conversation about music, memory, politics, and the future of creative work.

Having grown up in Dresden, in East Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Matthias reflects on life under surveillance, discovering Western music behind the Iron Curtain, and how those experiences continue to shape his songwriting decades later. Along the way, he shares stories of underground cassette culture, punk, jazz, Prince, Depeche Mode, and the surprising ways music crossed political borders.

The conversation then turns toward larger questions. What happens when streaming platforms transform artists into “content creators”? Can meaningful music—or any art—survive an attention economy built on distraction? And how should artists respond to artificial intelligence, algorithms, and a culture increasingly driven by speed rather than reflection?

Throughout, Matthias argues for something increasingly rare: art that asks us not simply to hear, but to listen.

This is a conversation about history, creativity, and why slowing down may be one of the most radical things music can still ask of us.

Highlights

  • Growing up in East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell
  • Living under surveillance and discovering artistic community
  • Punk, cassette culture, and youth music behind the Iron Curtain
  • Why Prince, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode mattered in Dresden
  • Building concept albums as immersive worlds
  • The influence of Bach, literature, and “dark songwriting”
  • Touring internationally while balancing family life
  • AI, algorithms, and the shrinking attention span
  • Streaming, independent artists, and the economics of music
  • Why music should be more than content

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Peace on Earth
  • All Beauty Must Die
  • Puppet Robe Anthem

All music used with permission

Memorable Moments


“How do you create art and music for people who are no longer able to pay attention?”

“Imagine you’re born in a country which doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I’m not a content creator. I’m an artist.”

Connect with the Artist


Music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world. This episode invites us to slow down long enough to remember why. Follow these links to learn more about Matthias and his work. 

Links:

About the Show


The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4840 Matthias Sturm: Music, Memory, & the Future of Listening

What happens to art when attention becomes scarce?

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with East Germany-born, Paris-based composer, songwriter, and visual artist Matthias Sturm for a wide-ranging conversation about music, memory, politics, and the future of creative work.

Having grown up in Dresden, in East Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Matthias reflects on life under surveillance, discovering Western music behind the Iron Curtain, and how those experiences continue to shape his songwriting decades later. Along the way, he shares stories of underground cassette culture, punk, jazz, Prince, Depeche Mode, and the surprising ways music crossed political borders.

The conversation then turns toward larger questions. What happens when streaming platforms transform artists into “content creators”? Can meaningful music—or any art—survive an attention economy built on distraction? And how should artists respond to artificial intelligence, algorithms, and a culture increasingly driven by speed rather than reflection?

Throughout, Matthias argues for something increasingly rare: art that asks us not simply to hear, but to listen.

This is a conversation about history, creativity, and why slowing down may be one of the most radical things music can still ask of us.

Highlights

  • Growing up in East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell
  • Living under surveillance and discovering artistic community
  • Punk, cassette culture, and youth music behind the Iron Curtain
  • Why Prince, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode mattered in Dresden
  • Building concept albums as immersive worlds
  • The influence of Bach, literature, and “dark songwriting”
  • Touring internationally while balancing family life
  • AI, algorithms, and the shrinking attention span
  • Streaming, independent artists, and the economics of music
  • Why music should be more than content

Music Featured in this Episode:

  • Peace on Earth
  • All Beauty Must Die
  • Puppet Robe Anthem

All music used with permission

Memorable Moments


“How do you create art and music for people who are no longer able to pay attention?”

“Imagine you’re born in a country which doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I’m not a content creator. I’m an artist.”

Connect with the Artist


Music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world. This episode invites us to slow down long enough to remember why. Follow these links to learn more about Matthias and his work. 

Links:

About the Show


The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, attention economy, music interviews, creativity, songwriting No Re-Enchanting the World through Music: An intimate conversation with Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki (Part 2) 10 10 Re-Enchanting the World through Music: An intimate conversation with Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki (Part 2) full fc716add-b8da-4f62-b59f-f6910d6254e8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9ea1f28f Last time, we asked, “What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?” and we ended the episode with an invitation to “Close your eyes and listen.”

Today we explore what happens when you accept that invitation, when we learn to really listen?

What happens when we stop treating music as background noise and begin experiencing it as something capable of changing the way we see—and hear—the world?

In the second half of this conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes back vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer and immersive audio producer Michal Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers to explore music as a source of wonder, creativity, and human connection.

The conversation begins with Karo’s remarkable journey to Abbey Road Studios, where performing in the legendary Studio Two became not simply a career milestone but a deeply personal encounter with musical history. From there, the discussion ranges across artistic discipline, international collaboration, immersive composition, women in music production, artificial intelligence, and the importance of remaining curious in an age increasingly shaped by algorithms.

Throughout the episode, Karo and Michal return to a simple but profound invitation: close your eyes and listen.

They argue that music is more than entertainment or content. It is a language that transcends borders, a practice of collaboration, and an opportunity to recover the sense of wonder that modern life so often obscures.

The conversation culminates in an unexpected moment as Karo offers an impromptu demonstration of her creative process, building music from breath, voice, and imagination alone—a beautiful reminder that some aspects of music are best understood not through explanation, but through experience. 

Highlights

• Karo’s life-changing performance at Abbey Road Studios

• Why great art still demands patience, discipline, and practice

• Supporting the next generation of musicians through “Road to Abbey”

• International collaboration as a creative philosophy

• The promise—and limitations—of AI in music

• Why immersive audio is ultimately about human presence

• Improvisation, jazz, and the art of listening

• Silence, breath, and space as musical composition

• Women in music production and the Music Is Her Name initiative

• The role of curiosity in sustaining creativity

• A spontaneous live vocal demonstration from Karo


Memorable Moments

• “Music is human.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Don’t follow the pattern. Just try to find your way of thinking.”

• “If people tell you it’s wrong... then you should probably go there.”

• “Close your eyes and listen.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Never limit yourself. You are more than you think.”

• “Stay creative. Don’t follow any patterns.”

 

About the Guests

Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her performances and productions explore music as a fully immersive artistic experience, combining architecture, movement, and sound.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of composition, technology, and live performance. 

Together they co-founded RED Producers, an international creative production company dedicated to expanding the possibilities of musical experience.

Expanded Artist Bio

Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

 

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope.​ What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength. 

 

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

 

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US. 

 

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

 

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

 

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers

https://www.karoglazer.com/about

https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic

https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer

https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun 


Featured Music

• “Black Sun,” by Karo Glazer

• Live vocal improvisation and compositional demonstration by Karo Glazer

• “Looking for a Word,” by Karo Glazer

All music used with permission. 


Resources

Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/


Coming Next Week

A warm and illuminating conversation with Tom Catmull, an acclaimed Americana songwriter from Missoula, Montana, whose music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and decades of touring, he’s shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel—always using the songs to lead listeners back to the words.

 


The Sum of All Wisdom explores music as one of...

]]> Last time, we asked, “What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?” and we ended the episode with an invitation to “Close your eyes and listen.”

Today we explore what happens when you accept that invitation, when we learn to really listen?

What happens when we stop treating music as background noise and begin experiencing it as something capable of changing the way we see—and hear—the world?

In the second half of this conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes back vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer and immersive audio producer Michal Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers to explore music as a source of wonder, creativity, and human connection.

The conversation begins with Karo’s remarkable journey to Abbey Road Studios, where performing in the legendary Studio Two became not simply a career milestone but a deeply personal encounter with musical history. From there, the discussion ranges across artistic discipline, international collaboration, immersive composition, women in music production, artificial intelligence, and the importance of remaining curious in an age increasingly shaped by algorithms.

Throughout the episode, Karo and Michal return to a simple but profound invitation: close your eyes and listen.

They argue that music is more than entertainment or content. It is a language that transcends borders, a practice of collaboration, and an opportunity to recover the sense of wonder that modern life so often obscures.

The conversation culminates in an unexpected moment as Karo offers an impromptu demonstration of her creative process, building music from breath, voice, and imagination alone—a beautiful reminder that some aspects of music are best understood not through explanation, but through experience. 

Highlights

• Karo’s life-changing performance at Abbey Road Studios

• Why great art still demands patience, discipline, and practice

• Supporting the next generation of musicians through “Road to Abbey”

• International collaboration as a creative philosophy

• The promise—and limitations—of AI in music

• Why immersive audio is ultimately about human presence

• Improvisation, jazz, and the art of listening

• Silence, breath, and space as musical composition

• Women in music production and the Music Is Her Name initiative

• The role of curiosity in sustaining creativity

• A spontaneous live vocal demonstration from Karo


Memorable Moments

• “Music is human.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Don’t follow the pattern. Just try to find your way of thinking.”

• “If people tell you it’s wrong... then you should probably go there.”

• “Close your eyes and listen.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Never limit yourself. You are more than you think.”

• “Stay creative. Don’t follow any patterns.”

 

About the Guests

Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her performances and productions explore music as a fully immersive artistic experience, combining architecture, movement, and sound.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of composition, technology, and live performance. 

Together they co-founded RED Producers, an international creative production company dedicated to expanding the possibilities of musical experience.

Expanded Artist Bio

Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

 

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope.​ What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength. 

 

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

 

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US. 

 

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

 

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

 

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers

https://www.karoglazer.com/about

https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic

https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer

https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun 


Featured Music

• “Black Sun,” by Karo Glazer

• Live vocal improvisation and compositional demonstration by Karo Glazer

• “Looking for a Word,” by Karo Glazer

All music used with permission. 


Resources

Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/


Coming Next Week

A warm and illuminating conversation with Tom Catmull, an acclaimed Americana songwriter from Missoula, Montana, whose music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and decades of touring, he’s shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel—always using the songs to lead listeners back to the words.

 


The Sum of All Wisdom explores music as one of...

]]> Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3483 Last time, we asked, “What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?” and we ended the episode with an invitation to “Close your eyes and listen.”

Today we explore what happens when you accept that invitation, when we learn to really listen?

What happens when we stop treating music as background noise and begin experiencing it as something capable of changing the way we see—and hear—the world?

In the second half of this conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes back vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer and immersive audio producer Michal Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers to explore music as a source of wonder, creativity, and human connection.

The conversation begins with Karo’s remarkable journey to Abbey Road Studios, where performing in the legendary Studio Two became not simply a career milestone but a deeply personal encounter with musical history. From there, the discussion ranges across artistic discipline, international collaboration, immersive composition, women in music production, artificial intelligence, and the importance of remaining curious in an age increasingly shaped by algorithms.

Throughout the episode, Karo and Michal return to a simple but profound invitation: close your eyes and listen.

They argue that music is more than entertainment or content. It is a language that transcends borders, a practice of collaboration, and an opportunity to recover the sense of wonder that modern life so often obscures.

The conversation culminates in an unexpected moment as Karo offers an impromptu demonstration of her creative process, building music from breath, voice, and imagination alone—a beautiful reminder that some aspects of music are best understood not through explanation, but through experience. 

Highlights

• Karo’s life-changing performance at Abbey Road Studios

• Why great art still demands patience, discipline, and practice

• Supporting the next generation of musicians through “Road to Abbey”

• International collaboration as a creative philosophy

• The promise—and limitations—of AI in music

• Why immersive audio is ultimately about human presence

• Improvisation, jazz, and the art of listening

• Silence, breath, and space as musical composition

• Women in music production and the Music Is Her Name initiative

• The role of curiosity in sustaining creativity

• A spontaneous live vocal demonstration from Karo


Memorable Moments

• “Music is human.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Don’t follow the pattern. Just try to find your way of thinking.”

• “If people tell you it’s wrong... then you should probably go there.”

• “Close your eyes and listen.”

• “Practice, practice, practice.”

• “Never limit yourself. You are more than you think.”

• “Stay creative. Don’t follow any patterns.”

 

About the Guests

Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her performances and productions explore music as a fully immersive artistic experience, combining architecture, movement, and sound.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of composition, technology, and live performance. 

Together they co-founded RED Producers, an international creative production company dedicated to expanding the possibilities of musical experience.

Expanded Artist Bio

Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

 

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope.​ What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength. 

 

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

 

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US. 

 

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

 

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

 

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers

https://www.karoglazer.com/about

https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic

https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer

https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun 


Featured Music

• “Black Sun,” by Karo Glazer

• Live vocal improvisation and compositional demonstration by Karo Glazer

• “Looking for a Word,” by Karo Glazer

All music used with permission. 


Resources

Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/


Coming Next Week

A warm and illuminating conversation with Tom Catmull, an acclaimed Americana songwriter from Missoula, Montana, whose music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and decades of touring, he’s shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel—always using the songs to lead listeners back to the words.

 


The Sum of All Wisdom explores music as one of...

]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Close Your Eyes and Listen: Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki of RED Producers 9 9 Close Your Eyes and Listen: Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki of RED Producers full bbad9622-489b-41cd-8d56-158de31e0bcb https://share.transistor.fm/s/1dfa61fb What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?

In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer alongside immersive audio producer Michał Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers.

Their story begins decades ago in a recording studio, where a young singer-songwriter and an aspiring sound engineer first crossed paths. Years later, after separate journeys through jazz, composition, production, architecture, and international performance, they reunited to create RED Producers—a creative partnership built on the belief that music is fundamentally human and inherently collaborative.

The conversation traces the origins of that partnership, including the creation of “Hand in Hand,” an international peace project launched in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From there, Karo and Michał explore immersive audio, not merely as a technology, but as a new language for musical expression—one that treats space, movement, and presence as compositional tools.

Along the way, they challenge assumptions about streaming culture, attention, artistic identity, and the future of listening itself.

At the heart of the discussion is a deceptively simple invitation:

Close your eyes and listen.

In This Episode
“You can put twenty microphones around me. It’s still one voice. My voice.” - Karo Glazer

Listeners can expect a deep dive into Karo’s current artistic universe — including the upcoming Abbey Road Concert live video session recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios Studio 2. We’ll also talk about “Into The Voice” — an immersive voice experience and live 360 concept exploring the human voice as instrument, space and emotional architecture through immersive audio and performance. And of course, listeners will get an exclusive look into music from the upcoming album #LadyDynamite and “Black Sun” single.

• The origins of RED Producers
• The Artists for Peace project and the creation of “Hand in Hand”
• Why music is fundamentally collaborative
• Architecture, composition, and immersive sound
• How Dolby Atmos changes the creative process
• Listening as participation rather than consumption
• The limits of algorithmic music culture
• Why surprise still matters in art
• Abbey Road Studios and the next chapter of their work
• Building an international immersive-audio community
• Music, mindfulness, and presence
• Human creativity in the age of AI

Memorable Moments
• “I didn't choose music. I was chosen by music.”
• “Music is human.”
• “Close your eyes and listen.”
• “I don’t care who’s singing. I care about music.”

About the Guests
Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her projects have brought together artists from across Europe and the United States while exploring new possibilities for musical experience.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, composition, and live performance. Together they co-founded RED Producers, a creative production company dedicated to building new forms of musical engagement.

Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki are co-founders of RED Producers, an international production hub. Independent - with infrastructure already in place.

Expanded Artist Bio
Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope. What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength.

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US.

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers
https://www.karoglazer.com/about
https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer
https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun

Coming Next Week
Part 2 of this conversation explores Abbey Road Studios, women in music production, international collaboration, navigating the modern music industry, and the future of artistic creation in an AI-driven world.

Resources
Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?

In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer alongside immersive audio producer Michał Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers.

Their story begins decades ago in a recording studio, where a young singer-songwriter and an aspiring sound engineer first crossed paths. Years later, after separate journeys through jazz, composition, production, architecture, and international performance, they reunited to create RED Producers—a creative partnership built on the belief that music is fundamentally human and inherently collaborative.

The conversation traces the origins of that partnership, including the creation of “Hand in Hand,” an international peace project launched in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From there, Karo and Michał explore immersive audio, not merely as a technology, but as a new language for musical expression—one that treats space, movement, and presence as compositional tools.

Along the way, they challenge assumptions about streaming culture, attention, artistic identity, and the future of listening itself.

At the heart of the discussion is a deceptively simple invitation:

Close your eyes and listen.

In This Episode
“You can put twenty microphones around me. It’s still one voice. My voice.” - Karo Glazer

Listeners can expect a deep dive into Karo’s current artistic universe — including the upcoming Abbey Road Concert live video session recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios Studio 2. We’ll also talk about “Into The Voice” — an immersive voice experience and live 360 concept exploring the human voice as instrument, space and emotional architecture through immersive audio and performance. And of course, listeners will get an exclusive look into music from the upcoming album #LadyDynamite and “Black Sun” single.

• The origins of RED Producers
• The Artists for Peace project and the creation of “Hand in Hand”
• Why music is fundamentally collaborative
• Architecture, composition, and immersive sound
• How Dolby Atmos changes the creative process
• Listening as participation rather than consumption
• The limits of algorithmic music culture
• Why surprise still matters in art
• Abbey Road Studios and the next chapter of their work
• Building an international immersive-audio community
• Music, mindfulness, and presence
• Human creativity in the age of AI

Memorable Moments
• “I didn't choose music. I was chosen by music.”
• “Music is human.”
• “Close your eyes and listen.”
• “I don’t care who’s singing. I care about music.”

About the Guests
Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her projects have brought together artists from across Europe and the United States while exploring new possibilities for musical experience.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, composition, and live performance. Together they co-founded RED Producers, a creative production company dedicated to building new forms of musical engagement.

Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki are co-founders of RED Producers, an international production hub. Independent - with infrastructure already in place.

Expanded Artist Bio
Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope. What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength.

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US.

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers
https://www.karoglazer.com/about
https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer
https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun

Coming Next Week
Part 2 of this conversation explores Abbey Road Studios, women in music production, international collaboration, navigating the modern music industry, and the future of artistic creation in an AI-driven world.

Resources
Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3531 What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?

In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer alongside immersive audio producer Michał Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers.

Their story begins decades ago in a recording studio, where a young singer-songwriter and an aspiring sound engineer first crossed paths. Years later, after separate journeys through jazz, composition, production, architecture, and international performance, they reunited to create RED Producers—a creative partnership built on the belief that music is fundamentally human and inherently collaborative.

The conversation traces the origins of that partnership, including the creation of “Hand in Hand,” an international peace project launched in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From there, Karo and Michał explore immersive audio, not merely as a technology, but as a new language for musical expression—one that treats space, movement, and presence as compositional tools.

Along the way, they challenge assumptions about streaming culture, attention, artistic identity, and the future of listening itself.

At the heart of the discussion is a deceptively simple invitation:

Close your eyes and listen.

In This Episode
“You can put twenty microphones around me. It’s still one voice. My voice.” - Karo Glazer

Listeners can expect a deep dive into Karo’s current artistic universe — including the upcoming Abbey Road Concert live video session recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios Studio 2. We’ll also talk about “Into The Voice” — an immersive voice experience and live 360 concept exploring the human voice as instrument, space and emotional architecture through immersive audio and performance. And of course, listeners will get an exclusive look into music from the upcoming album #LadyDynamite and “Black Sun” single.

• The origins of RED Producers
• The Artists for Peace project and the creation of “Hand in Hand”
• Why music is fundamentally collaborative
• Architecture, composition, and immersive sound
• How Dolby Atmos changes the creative process
• Listening as participation rather than consumption
• The limits of algorithmic music culture
• Why surprise still matters in art
• Abbey Road Studios and the next chapter of their work
• Building an international immersive-audio community
• Music, mindfulness, and presence
• Human creativity in the age of AI

Memorable Moments
• “I didn't choose music. I was chosen by music.”
• “Music is human.”
• “Close your eyes and listen.”
• “I don’t care who’s singing. I care about music.”

About the Guests
Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her projects have brought together artists from across Europe and the United States while exploring new possibilities for musical experience.

Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, composition, and live performance. Together they co-founded RED Producers, a creative production company dedicated to building new forms of musical engagement.

Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki are co-founders of RED Producers, an international production hub. Independent - with infrastructure already in place.

Expanded Artist Bio
Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.

Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope. What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength.

On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.

Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US.

With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.

Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.

“She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern

Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers
https://www.karoglazer.com/about
https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer
https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun

Coming Next Week
Part 2 of this conversation explores Abbey Road Studios, women in music production, international collaboration, navigating the modern music industry, and the future of artistic creation in an AI-driven world.

Resources
Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Finding Music in the Unexpected: A Conversation with Jeff Tripoli 8 8 Finding Music in the Unexpected: A Conversation with Jeff Tripoli full 68b0b0f4-067e-42d5-adbf-9f907eba11c8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/3f06a594 In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey sits down with percussionist, composer, educator, and sonic explorer Jeff Tripoli for a conversation that moves far beyond the drum kit. What happens when a drummer stops thinking like a drummer?

Drawing inspiration from artists like Harry Partch, Butch Norton, John Bergamo, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and countless musical traditions from around the world, Jeff has built a creative practice centered on curiosity, experimentation, and deep listening. His latest album, Natural Habitat, transforms birdsong, footsteps, washing machines, field recordings, hand percussion, and invented instruments into immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between music and environment.

Together, Scott and Jeff explore:

  • How mentorship has shaped Jeff’s artistic journey
  • The influence of Harry Partch and invented instruments
  • Why imperfection often creates the most memorable art
  • The role of field recordings and environmental sound in composition
  • Creativity, chance, and “happy accidents”
  • David Bowie’s cut-up techniques and rhythmic poetry
  • Touring internationally with Celtic folk-rock band The Town Pants
  • The future of drumming in an age of social media and AI
  • Why musicians must remain lifelong students

Along the way, Jeff demonstrates several of his handmade percussion inventions, discusses the philosophy behind his “contraption kit,” and shares why he believes the most important lesson for any artist is simple:

“Listen and serve the music.”

This is a conversation about sound, experimentation, humility, and discovering wisdom in places most of us overlook.

About Jeff Tripoli

Jeff Tripoli is a drummer, percussionist, educator, composer, and recording artist based in Syracuse, New York. A veteran of international touring with The Town Pants, Jeff’s work spans rock, Celtic music, world percussion, experimental composition, and handcrafted instrument design. His recent solo releases, Perspectives and Natural Habitat, explore the intersection of percussion, found sound, improvisation, and sonic storytelling.

Connect with Jeff

·      Website: https://jefftripolidrums.com/home 

·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jefftripolidrums 

·      Bandcamp: https://jefftripoli.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jeff-tripoli/1565681196 

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefftripolidrums 

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefftripolidrums/ 

 

Explore Related Music and Sounds 

Links to musicians, bands, books, and more mentioned in the episode:

·      Billy Martin https://www.billymartin.net/ 

·      Butch Norton https://butchdrums.com/ 

·      Charles Corey https://www.charlescorey.com/ 

·      Earl Slick https://earlslick.net/ 

·      Glenn Kotche  https://www.glennkotche.com/ 

·      Harry Partch https://www.harrypartch.com/ 

·      Jeff Moleski | Mole Trax Studios https://rockwellrecordingandsoundstage.com/ 

·      Jim Donovan https://www.youtube.com/jmdbird 

·      John Bergamo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bergamo 

·      Kalani Das https://kalanimusic.com/ 

·      Medeski, Martin, and Wood https://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/ 

·      Ray McNamara https://raymcnamara.com/ 

·      Rick Rubin | The Creative Act (Penguin) https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact 

·      Rusted Root https://www.rustedroot.com/ 

·      Ted Gioia | The Honest Brokerhttps://www.honest-broker.com/ 

 

Featured Music 

“Something I Can’t Explain” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“Afro Cant” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“A Stone From Your Heart” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

All music is used with permission. All rights remain with the respective rights holders.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes explorations of listening, craft, and lived experience, and discovery of new music. 

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, please consider liking, commenting, following, subscribing, and sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

Thanks for turning us on!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey sits down with percussionist, composer, educator, and sonic explorer Jeff Tripoli for a conversation that moves far beyond the drum kit. What happens when a drummer stops thinking like a drummer?

Drawing inspiration from artists like Harry Partch, Butch Norton, John Bergamo, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and countless musical traditions from around the world, Jeff has built a creative practice centered on curiosity, experimentation, and deep listening. His latest album, Natural Habitat, transforms birdsong, footsteps, washing machines, field recordings, hand percussion, and invented instruments into immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between music and environment.

Together, Scott and Jeff explore:

  • How mentorship has shaped Jeff’s artistic journey
  • The influence of Harry Partch and invented instruments
  • Why imperfection often creates the most memorable art
  • The role of field recordings and environmental sound in composition
  • Creativity, chance, and “happy accidents”
  • David Bowie’s cut-up techniques and rhythmic poetry
  • Touring internationally with Celtic folk-rock band The Town Pants
  • The future of drumming in an age of social media and AI
  • Why musicians must remain lifelong students

Along the way, Jeff demonstrates several of his handmade percussion inventions, discusses the philosophy behind his “contraption kit,” and shares why he believes the most important lesson for any artist is simple:

“Listen and serve the music.”

This is a conversation about sound, experimentation, humility, and discovering wisdom in places most of us overlook.

About Jeff Tripoli

Jeff Tripoli is a drummer, percussionist, educator, composer, and recording artist based in Syracuse, New York. A veteran of international touring with The Town Pants, Jeff’s work spans rock, Celtic music, world percussion, experimental composition, and handcrafted instrument design. His recent solo releases, Perspectives and Natural Habitat, explore the intersection of percussion, found sound, improvisation, and sonic storytelling.

Connect with Jeff

·      Website: https://jefftripolidrums.com/home 

·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jefftripolidrums 

·      Bandcamp: https://jefftripoli.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jeff-tripoli/1565681196 

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefftripolidrums 

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefftripolidrums/ 

 

Explore Related Music and Sounds 

Links to musicians, bands, books, and more mentioned in the episode:

·      Billy Martin https://www.billymartin.net/ 

·      Butch Norton https://butchdrums.com/ 

·      Charles Corey https://www.charlescorey.com/ 

·      Earl Slick https://earlslick.net/ 

·      Glenn Kotche  https://www.glennkotche.com/ 

·      Harry Partch https://www.harrypartch.com/ 

·      Jeff Moleski | Mole Trax Studios https://rockwellrecordingandsoundstage.com/ 

·      Jim Donovan https://www.youtube.com/jmdbird 

·      John Bergamo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bergamo 

·      Kalani Das https://kalanimusic.com/ 

·      Medeski, Martin, and Wood https://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/ 

·      Ray McNamara https://raymcnamara.com/ 

·      Rick Rubin | The Creative Act (Penguin) https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact 

·      Rusted Root https://www.rustedroot.com/ 

·      Ted Gioia | The Honest Brokerhttps://www.honest-broker.com/ 

 

Featured Music 

“Something I Can’t Explain” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“Afro Cant” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“A Stone From Your Heart” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

All music is used with permission. All rights remain with the respective rights holders.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes explorations of listening, craft, and lived experience, and discovery of new music. 

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, please consider liking, commenting, following, subscribing, and sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

Thanks for turning us on!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4469 In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey sits down with percussionist, composer, educator, and sonic explorer Jeff Tripoli for a conversation that moves far beyond the drum kit. What happens when a drummer stops thinking like a drummer?

Drawing inspiration from artists like Harry Partch, Butch Norton, John Bergamo, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and countless musical traditions from around the world, Jeff has built a creative practice centered on curiosity, experimentation, and deep listening. His latest album, Natural Habitat, transforms birdsong, footsteps, washing machines, field recordings, hand percussion, and invented instruments into immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between music and environment.

Together, Scott and Jeff explore:

  • How mentorship has shaped Jeff’s artistic journey
  • The influence of Harry Partch and invented instruments
  • Why imperfection often creates the most memorable art
  • The role of field recordings and environmental sound in composition
  • Creativity, chance, and “happy accidents”
  • David Bowie’s cut-up techniques and rhythmic poetry
  • Touring internationally with Celtic folk-rock band The Town Pants
  • The future of drumming in an age of social media and AI
  • Why musicians must remain lifelong students

Along the way, Jeff demonstrates several of his handmade percussion inventions, discusses the philosophy behind his “contraption kit,” and shares why he believes the most important lesson for any artist is simple:

“Listen and serve the music.”

This is a conversation about sound, experimentation, humility, and discovering wisdom in places most of us overlook.

About Jeff Tripoli

Jeff Tripoli is a drummer, percussionist, educator, composer, and recording artist based in Syracuse, New York. A veteran of international touring with The Town Pants, Jeff’s work spans rock, Celtic music, world percussion, experimental composition, and handcrafted instrument design. His recent solo releases, Perspectives and Natural Habitat, explore the intersection of percussion, found sound, improvisation, and sonic storytelling.

Connect with Jeff

·      Website: https://jefftripolidrums.com/home 

·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jefftripolidrums 

·      Bandcamp: https://jefftripoli.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jeff-tripoli/1565681196 

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefftripolidrums 

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefftripolidrums/ 

 

Explore Related Music and Sounds 

Links to musicians, bands, books, and more mentioned in the episode:

·      Billy Martin https://www.billymartin.net/ 

·      Butch Norton https://butchdrums.com/ 

·      Charles Corey https://www.charlescorey.com/ 

·      Earl Slick https://earlslick.net/ 

·      Glenn Kotche  https://www.glennkotche.com/ 

·      Harry Partch https://www.harrypartch.com/ 

·      Jeff Moleski | Mole Trax Studios https://rockwellrecordingandsoundstage.com/ 

·      Jim Donovan https://www.youtube.com/jmdbird 

·      John Bergamo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bergamo 

·      Kalani Das https://kalanimusic.com/ 

·      Medeski, Martin, and Wood https://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/ 

·      Ray McNamara https://raymcnamara.com/ 

·      Rick Rubin | The Creative Act (Penguin) https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact 

·      Rusted Root https://www.rustedroot.com/ 

·      Ted Gioia | The Honest Brokerhttps://www.honest-broker.com/ 

 

Featured Music 

“Something I Can’t Explain” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“Afro Cant” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

“A Stone From Your Heart” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli
Used with permission.

All music is used with permission. All rights remain with the respective rights holders.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes explorations of listening, craft, and lived experience, and discovery of new music. 

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, please consider liking, commenting, following, subscribing, and sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. 

Thanks for turning us on!

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Architecting Atmosphere & the Luminous Darkness of Sound: A Conversation with Matthijs Kouw 7 7 Architecting Atmosphere & the Luminous Darkness of Sound: A Conversation with Matthijs Kouw full 31717fa5-1c1c-49c3-bdbe-afc3f68219fe https://share.transistor.fm/s/4268d6e2 “How would you like to spend some time with music that can reconfigure what you think about yourself, about music, and about space and time?” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott reconnects with Dutch experimental composer and sound artist Matthijs Kouw for a deep conversation about sound, space, philosophy, and the spiritual possibilities of composing, experiencing, and listening to music. 

Together, they explore what “experimental music” really means—not as a genre, but as a position: an openness to uncertainty, emergence, and the unknown. Matthijs reflects on the role of indeterminacy in composition, the architecture of sound, and the idea that music can create spaces for listeners to inhabit rather than narratives to consume. 

The conversation ranges widely across:

  • Experimental music as process and experiment 
  • Drone music, atmosphere, and “dwelling” in sound 
  • The influence of thinkers like Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Gilbert Simondon 
  • Time, emergence, and metastability in musical composition 
  • Negative theology and the limits of language 
  • Field recordings, contact microphones, and environmental sound 
  • Why cassettes still matter 
  • The politics of music distribution and alternatives to Spotify 
  • Music as communion, meditation, and philosophical inquiry 

A central thread throughout the discussion is the idea that music can carry us beyond language—toward experiences that resist direct explanation yet remain deeply human and emotionally real. 

Matthijs also discusses several of his recent works, including:

  • Transversal 
  • Meta-Stabilities 
  • Obscurum per Obscurius 
  • The collaborative project Irradiance with Gagi Petrovic 

Memorable Moments

“Maybe the orchestra is not a set of instruments, but the entire world.” 

“It’s more like creating spaces for people to dwell in.” 

“Maybe the soundscape is populated by beautiful birdsong and leaf blowers simultaneously.”


About Matthijs Kouw

Matthijs Kouw is an experimental musician based in The Netherlands exploring the relationship between movement and stasis. Using analog synthesis, software, field recordings, and recordings of various objects, Matthijs combines long-form drone with elements from acousmatic music, noise, and microsound.

Links:

Explore Related Music and Sound Compositions 

Links to musicians, labels, and record stores mentioned in the episode:

·      Alan Lamb: https://room40.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Gagi Petrovic: https://gagipetrovic.com/ 

·      Groupe de Recherche Musical (GRM): https://inagrm.com/fr 

·      Important Drone Records: https://importantdronerecords.bandcamp.com/music 

·      Important Records: https://importantrecords.com/ 

·      Marc Namblard: https://marcnamblard.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Masami Akita/Merzbow: https://www.instagram.com/merzbowofficial/ 

·      Moving Furniture Records: https://movingfurniturerecords.com/ 

·      Phil Maguire: https://philmaguire.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Radboud Mens: https://radboudmens.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Sietse van Erve: https://orphax.com/about/ 

·      Staalplaat: https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Tashiya Tsunoda: https://toshiyatsunoda.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Waaghals Records Store: https://www.waaghals.com/ 


Featured Music 

This episode includes excerpts from:

  • “Irradiance” 
  • “Metastability 3,” from Meta-Stabilities
  • “Asymptotic,” from Transversal

All music by Matthijs Kouw and used with permission.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> “How would you like to spend some time with music that can reconfigure what you think about yourself, about music, and about space and time?” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott reconnects with Dutch experimental composer and sound artist Matthijs Kouw for a deep conversation about sound, space, philosophy, and the spiritual possibilities of composing, experiencing, and listening to music. 

Together, they explore what “experimental music” really means—not as a genre, but as a position: an openness to uncertainty, emergence, and the unknown. Matthijs reflects on the role of indeterminacy in composition, the architecture of sound, and the idea that music can create spaces for listeners to inhabit rather than narratives to consume. 

The conversation ranges widely across:

  • Experimental music as process and experiment 
  • Drone music, atmosphere, and “dwelling” in sound 
  • The influence of thinkers like Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Gilbert Simondon 
  • Time, emergence, and metastability in musical composition 
  • Negative theology and the limits of language 
  • Field recordings, contact microphones, and environmental sound 
  • Why cassettes still matter 
  • The politics of music distribution and alternatives to Spotify 
  • Music as communion, meditation, and philosophical inquiry 

A central thread throughout the discussion is the idea that music can carry us beyond language—toward experiences that resist direct explanation yet remain deeply human and emotionally real. 

Matthijs also discusses several of his recent works, including:

  • Transversal 
  • Meta-Stabilities 
  • Obscurum per Obscurius 
  • The collaborative project Irradiance with Gagi Petrovic 

Memorable Moments

“Maybe the orchestra is not a set of instruments, but the entire world.” 

“It’s more like creating spaces for people to dwell in.” 

“Maybe the soundscape is populated by beautiful birdsong and leaf blowers simultaneously.”


About Matthijs Kouw

Matthijs Kouw is an experimental musician based in The Netherlands exploring the relationship between movement and stasis. Using analog synthesis, software, field recordings, and recordings of various objects, Matthijs combines long-form drone with elements from acousmatic music, noise, and microsound.

Links:

Explore Related Music and Sound Compositions 

Links to musicians, labels, and record stores mentioned in the episode:

·      Alan Lamb: https://room40.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Gagi Petrovic: https://gagipetrovic.com/ 

·      Groupe de Recherche Musical (GRM): https://inagrm.com/fr 

·      Important Drone Records: https://importantdronerecords.bandcamp.com/music 

·      Important Records: https://importantrecords.com/ 

·      Marc Namblard: https://marcnamblard.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Masami Akita/Merzbow: https://www.instagram.com/merzbowofficial/ 

·      Moving Furniture Records: https://movingfurniturerecords.com/ 

·      Phil Maguire: https://philmaguire.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Radboud Mens: https://radboudmens.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Sietse van Erve: https://orphax.com/about/ 

·      Staalplaat: https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Tashiya Tsunoda: https://toshiyatsunoda.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Waaghals Records Store: https://www.waaghals.com/ 


Featured Music 

This episode includes excerpts from:

  • “Irradiance” 
  • “Metastability 3,” from Meta-Stabilities
  • “Asymptotic,” from Transversal

All music by Matthijs Kouw and used with permission.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 27 May 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 5539 “How would you like to spend some time with music that can reconfigure what you think about yourself, about music, and about space and time?” 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott reconnects with Dutch experimental composer and sound artist Matthijs Kouw for a deep conversation about sound, space, philosophy, and the spiritual possibilities of composing, experiencing, and listening to music. 

Together, they explore what “experimental music” really means—not as a genre, but as a position: an openness to uncertainty, emergence, and the unknown. Matthijs reflects on the role of indeterminacy in composition, the architecture of sound, and the idea that music can create spaces for listeners to inhabit rather than narratives to consume. 

The conversation ranges widely across:

  • Experimental music as process and experiment 
  • Drone music, atmosphere, and “dwelling” in sound 
  • The influence of thinkers like Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Gilbert Simondon 
  • Time, emergence, and metastability in musical composition 
  • Negative theology and the limits of language 
  • Field recordings, contact microphones, and environmental sound 
  • Why cassettes still matter 
  • The politics of music distribution and alternatives to Spotify 
  • Music as communion, meditation, and philosophical inquiry 

A central thread throughout the discussion is the idea that music can carry us beyond language—toward experiences that resist direct explanation yet remain deeply human and emotionally real. 

Matthijs also discusses several of his recent works, including:

  • Transversal 
  • Meta-Stabilities 
  • Obscurum per Obscurius 
  • The collaborative project Irradiance with Gagi Petrovic 

Memorable Moments

“Maybe the orchestra is not a set of instruments, but the entire world.” 

“It’s more like creating spaces for people to dwell in.” 

“Maybe the soundscape is populated by beautiful birdsong and leaf blowers simultaneously.”


About Matthijs Kouw

Matthijs Kouw is an experimental musician based in The Netherlands exploring the relationship between movement and stasis. Using analog synthesis, software, field recordings, and recordings of various objects, Matthijs combines long-form drone with elements from acousmatic music, noise, and microsound.

Links:

Explore Related Music and Sound Compositions 

Links to musicians, labels, and record stores mentioned in the episode:

·      Alan Lamb: https://room40.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Gagi Petrovic: https://gagipetrovic.com/ 

·      Groupe de Recherche Musical (GRM): https://inagrm.com/fr 

·      Important Drone Records: https://importantdronerecords.bandcamp.com/music 

·      Important Records: https://importantrecords.com/ 

·      Marc Namblard: https://marcnamblard.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Masami Akita/Merzbow: https://www.instagram.com/merzbowofficial/ 

·      Moving Furniture Records: https://movingfurniturerecords.com/ 

·      Phil Maguire: https://philmaguire.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Radboud Mens: https://radboudmens.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Sietse van Erve: https://orphax.com/about/ 

·      Staalplaat: https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Tashiya Tsunoda: https://toshiyatsunoda.bandcamp.com/ 

·      Waaghals Records Store: https://www.waaghals.com/ 


Featured Music 

This episode includes excerpts from:

  • “Irradiance” 
  • “Metastability 3,” from Meta-Stabilities
  • “Asymptotic,” from Transversal

All music by Matthijs Kouw and used with permission.


About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Music, Musicians, Experimental Music, Wisdom No Bigfoot and Terraformers and Stage Fright... Oh My! Part 2 of a Conversation with Andrew Hunt 6 6 Bigfoot and Terraformers and Stage Fright... Oh My! Part 2 of a Conversation with Andrew Hunt full e493a4ee-fe30-4456-8202-e172aa72a893 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8f9523eb Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, part 2 of Scott’s conversation with musician Andrew Hunt on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 

Links:

 

Music featured in this episode:

“Pirate Cowboy,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

“Brady Bill,” written by Andrew Hunt, demo performed by Andrew Hunt
Used with permission.

“Tappin' at the Glass,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

 

Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too. Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, part 2 of Scott’s conversation with musician Andrew Hunt on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 

Links:

 

Music featured in this episode:

“Pirate Cowboy,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

“Brady Bill,” written by Andrew Hunt, demo performed by Andrew Hunt
Used with permission.

“Tappin' at the Glass,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

 

Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too. Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 13 May 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4626 Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, part 2 of Scott’s conversation with musician Andrew Hunt on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 

Links:

 

Music featured in this episode:

“Pirate Cowboy,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

“Brady Bill,” written by Andrew Hunt, demo performed by Andrew Hunt
Used with permission.

“Tappin' at the Glass,” written by Andrew Hunt, performed by Flask
Used with permission.

 

Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too. Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe. 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom Yes The Three-Day Rule: Songs We Keep (and Why We Kill the Rest): A Conversation with Andrew Hunt 5 5 The Three-Day Rule: Songs We Keep (and Why We Kill the Rest): A Conversation with Andrew Hunt full d568af47-b738-4973-abd8-1fa7f983ca61 https://share.transistor.fm/s/061ae4b0 Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, Scott sits down with musician Andrew Hunt for a wide-ranging conversation on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.Keep bullets short and conceptual.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 


Links:

Music featured in this episode:

“Shady Grove” (Rough Mix) by Flask
Used with permission.

“Christians” by Flask
Used with permission.


Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, Scott sits down with musician Andrew Hunt for a wide-ranging conversation on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.Keep bullets short and conceptual.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 


Links:

Music featured in this episode:

“Shady Grove” (Rough Mix) by Flask
Used with permission.

“Christians” by Flask
Used with permission.


Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 06 May 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4608 Episode Summary

What does it mean to make music—and to keep making it—over a lifetime?

In this episode, Scott sits down with musician Andrew Hunt for a wide-ranging conversation on songwriting, performance, and the lived realities of creative life. From the discipline of editing to the risks of artistic honesty, they explore how musicians navigate the tension between expression and expectation.

Along the way, they dive into:

  • The difference between commercial success and artistic integrity 
  • Why some songs last—and others disappear within days 
  • The hidden labor behind “simple” music 
  • The emotional realities behind story songs, including violence, jealousy, and longing 
  • The role of live performance in creating connection and meaning 

At its core, this is a conversation about music as a form of knowledge—and about what artists learn, feel, and risk in the act of creating.

 

In This Conversation

Topics explored include:

·      Music as Knowledge
Creative practice as a way of understanding emotion, identity, and the world. 

·      Art vs. Commerce
Navigating authenticity in a system driven by audience and algorithm. 

·      Editing as Craft (and Survival)
Knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to stop. 

·      The Emotional Core of Songwriting
Exploring difficult themes—jealousy, violence, longing—through narrative. 

·      Time, Aging, and Creative Drive
The evolving risks and rewards of making art over a lifetime.Keep bullets short and conceptual.

 

Notable Moments

  • Infinite variation within constraint 
  • The “three-day rule” for whether a song survives 
  • The Bob Qualters analogy: iteration, obsession, and knowing when to stop 
  • The concept of “stewing” as the emotional center of certain songs 
  • The paradox of simplicity in recording: minimal sound, maximal infrastructure 
  • “I still want to be Johnny Cash” — creative ambition beyond age

 

About the Guest

Andrew Hunt is an accomplished musician, voice actor, and member of the Recording Academy. His life is an altered country western song... Looking for Peace in all the right places. 


Links:

Music featured in this episode:

“Shady Grove” (Rough Mix) by Flask
Used with permission.

“Christians” by Flask
Used with permission.


Production Notes

Host, producer, editor: Scott Catey

Publisher: Ravenna Studios
Distributed by Transistor
Recording & Editing: Riverside.com, Audacity.org

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. If the conversation provoked you, please let us know that, too.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom Yes Music: Community, Rhythm & the Wisdom of Tradition: A Conversation with Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band 4 4 Music: Community, Rhythm & the Wisdom of Tradition: A Conversation with Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band full f43fd210-4a5d-4e8f-9ab2-fe671b268a3c https://share.transistor.fm/s/c15edb0e Title: Music: Community, Rhythm & the Wisdom of Tradition: A Conversation with Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band 


Episode Summary
What does it mean to devote your life to music as a passionate avocation?

In this episode, Scott sits down with drummer and instructor Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band to explore the rich, communal, and deeply human world of pipe bands. From the thunder of snare drums to the visual poetry of tenor flourishes, Eric opens a window into a musical tradition that is at once ancient, evolving, and profoundly alive.

What emerges is not just a conversation about music—but about community, discipline, teaching, and the quiet power of tradition and shared cultural practice.


What You’ll Hear

  • What a pipe band really is
    Beyond the stereotype: four musical “voices” working as one ensemble—pipes, snare, tenor, and bass 
  • The role of the drummer
    How rhythm becomes both sound and spectacle, especially through tenor drumming and choreographed flourishes 
  • A musician’s unlikely path
    From radio broadcaster → roadie → tenor drummer, and finding the right instrument by accident, and with a little nudge from a friend 
  • Music as marriage & partnership
    Playing in a band alongside his wife—who also leads the drum corps 
  • Competition at the highest level
    The long road to the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow—years of travel, practice, and commitment 
  • What judges actually listen for
    Precision, unity, ensemble cohesion—and why mistakes in rhythm matter more than visual flair 
  • Teaching the next generation
    How Eric trains young drummers—from first stick control to creative expression 
  • The philosophy of mastery
    Why everything begins with simple fundamentals—and how creativity grows from control 
  • A global musical community
    Pipe bands as a tight-knit, international network of shared tradition 
  • The future of tradition
    Why pipe band music persists—and what it takes to bring new generations into it 

Key Themes

1. Music as Community
Pipe bands aren’t just ensembles—they’re families. Built over decades, sustained by volunteerism, and rooted in shared identity.

2. Discipline → Freedom
Mastery of basics (timing, grip, control) unlocks creativity—especially in expressive forms like tenor drumming.

3. Tradition as Living Practice
These are centuries-old forms—but they evolve through teaching, performance, and community participation.

4. Access to Excellence
At the highest levels, music becomes radically human—where even the “best in the world” are approachable, collaborative, and generous.


Memorable Moments

  • Eric describing pipe bands as “a community of people who love the music and culture”
  • The reality of competing: 9-hour drives to play 5 minutes of music 
  • Practicing for years to earn a place at the Worlds 
  • The image of drummers waiting patiently while pipers spend long stretches tuning 
  • A kid from Montana standing feet away from the world’s best musicians—and realizing access is possible 

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation embodies a core idea here at The Sum of All Wisdom: Music is not just expression—it is a system of knowledge and a means of transmitting that knowledge.

Pipe band culture shows how:

  • Knowledge is transmitted across generations 
  • Discipline shapes identity 
  • Community sustains art 
  • And tradition becomes a living archive of human meaning


About the Guest
Eric Wolferman is tenor drummer and drum instructor with the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, based in Missoula, Montana. 


Websites & other links

Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

·       https://www.celticdragonpipeband.com/index.html


Music featured in this episode:

Scotland the Brave

Traditional, performed by Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

Mingulay Boat Song

Performed by Gaelic Storm with Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website

The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Title: Music: Community, Rhythm & the Wisdom of Tradition: A Conversation with Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band 


Episode Summary
What does it mean to devote your life to music as a passionate avocation?

In this episode, Scott sits down with drummer and instructor Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band to explore the rich, communal, and deeply human world of pipe bands. From the thunder of snare drums to the visual poetry of tenor flourishes, Eric opens a window into a musical tradition that is at once ancient, evolving, and profoundly alive.

What emerges is not just a conversation about music—but about community, discipline, teaching, and the quiet power of tradition and shared cultural practice.


What You’ll Hear

  • What a pipe band really is
    Beyond the stereotype: four musical “voices” working as one ensemble—pipes, snare, tenor, and bass 
  • The role of the drummer
    How rhythm becomes both sound and spectacle, especially through tenor drumming and choreographed flourishes 
  • A musician’s unlikely path
    From radio broadcaster → roadie → tenor drummer, and finding the right instrument by accident, and with a little nudge from a friend 
  • Music as marriage & partnership
    Playing in a band alongside his wife—who also leads the drum corps 
  • Competition at the highest level
    The long road to the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow—years of travel, practice, and commitment 
  • What judges actually listen for
    Precision, unity, ensemble cohesion—and why mistakes in rhythm matter more than visual flair 
  • Teaching the next generation
    How Eric trains young drummers—from first stick control to creative expression 
  • The philosophy of mastery
    Why everything begins with simple fundamentals—and how creativity grows from control 
  • A global musical community
    Pipe bands as a tight-knit, international network of shared tradition 
  • The future of tradition
    Why pipe band music persists—and what it takes to bring new generations into it 

Key Themes

1. Music as Community
Pipe bands aren’t just ensembles—they’re families. Built over decades, sustained by volunteerism, and rooted in shared identity.

2. Discipline → Freedom
Mastery of basics (timing, grip, control) unlocks creativity—especially in expressive forms like tenor drumming.

3. Tradition as Living Practice
These are centuries-old forms—but they evolve through teaching, performance, and community participation.

4. Access to Excellence
At the highest levels, music becomes radically human—where even the “best in the world” are approachable, collaborative, and generous.


Memorable Moments

  • Eric describing pipe bands as “a community of people who love the music and culture”
  • The reality of competing: 9-hour drives to play 5 minutes of music 
  • Practicing for years to earn a place at the Worlds 
  • The image of drummers waiting patiently while pipers spend long stretches tuning 
  • A kid from Montana standing feet away from the world’s best musicians—and realizing access is possible 

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation embodies a core idea here at The Sum of All Wisdom: Music is not just expression—it is a system of knowledge and a means of transmitting that knowledge.

Pipe band culture shows how:

  • Knowledge is transmitted across generations 
  • Discipline shapes identity 
  • Community sustains art 
  • And tradition becomes a living archive of human meaning


About the Guest
Eric Wolferman is tenor drummer and drum instructor with the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, based in Missoula, Montana. 


Websites & other links

Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

·       https://www.celticdragonpipeband.com/index.html


Music featured in this episode:

Scotland the Brave

Traditional, performed by Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

Mingulay Boat Song

Performed by Gaelic Storm with Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website

The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3854 Title: Music: Community, Rhythm & the Wisdom of Tradition: A Conversation with Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band 


Episode Summary
What does it mean to devote your life to music as a passionate avocation?

In this episode, Scott sits down with drummer and instructor Eric Wolferman of the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band to explore the rich, communal, and deeply human world of pipe bands. From the thunder of snare drums to the visual poetry of tenor flourishes, Eric opens a window into a musical tradition that is at once ancient, evolving, and profoundly alive.

What emerges is not just a conversation about music—but about community, discipline, teaching, and the quiet power of tradition and shared cultural practice.


What You’ll Hear

  • What a pipe band really is
    Beyond the stereotype: four musical “voices” working as one ensemble—pipes, snare, tenor, and bass 
  • The role of the drummer
    How rhythm becomes both sound and spectacle, especially through tenor drumming and choreographed flourishes 
  • A musician’s unlikely path
    From radio broadcaster → roadie → tenor drummer, and finding the right instrument by accident, and with a little nudge from a friend 
  • Music as marriage & partnership
    Playing in a band alongside his wife—who also leads the drum corps 
  • Competition at the highest level
    The long road to the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow—years of travel, practice, and commitment 
  • What judges actually listen for
    Precision, unity, ensemble cohesion—and why mistakes in rhythm matter more than visual flair 
  • Teaching the next generation
    How Eric trains young drummers—from first stick control to creative expression 
  • The philosophy of mastery
    Why everything begins with simple fundamentals—and how creativity grows from control 
  • A global musical community
    Pipe bands as a tight-knit, international network of shared tradition 
  • The future of tradition
    Why pipe band music persists—and what it takes to bring new generations into it 

Key Themes

1. Music as Community
Pipe bands aren’t just ensembles—they’re families. Built over decades, sustained by volunteerism, and rooted in shared identity.

2. Discipline → Freedom
Mastery of basics (timing, grip, control) unlocks creativity—especially in expressive forms like tenor drumming.

3. Tradition as Living Practice
These are centuries-old forms—but they evolve through teaching, performance, and community participation.

4. Access to Excellence
At the highest levels, music becomes radically human—where even the “best in the world” are approachable, collaborative, and generous.


Memorable Moments

  • Eric describing pipe bands as “a community of people who love the music and culture”
  • The reality of competing: 9-hour drives to play 5 minutes of music 
  • Practicing for years to earn a place at the Worlds 
  • The image of drummers waiting patiently while pipers spend long stretches tuning 
  • A kid from Montana standing feet away from the world’s best musicians—and realizing access is possible 

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation embodies a core idea here at The Sum of All Wisdom: Music is not just expression—it is a system of knowledge and a means of transmitting that knowledge.

Pipe band culture shows how:

  • Knowledge is transmitted across generations 
  • Discipline shapes identity 
  • Community sustains art 
  • And tradition becomes a living archive of human meaning


About the Guest
Eric Wolferman is tenor drummer and drum instructor with the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, based in Missoula, Montana. 


Websites & other links

Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

·       https://www.celticdragonpipeband.com/index.html


Music featured in this episode:

Scotland the Brave

Traditional, performed by Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

Mingulay Boat Song

Performed by Gaelic Storm with Celtic Dragon Pipe Band

Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website

The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Risk, Transformation & Ecstatic Freedom: A Conversation with Daria Vasileva 3 3 Risk, Transformation & Ecstatic Freedom: A Conversation with Daria Vasileva full 82a09c1d-e76d-44b4-bc25-d5eee5b4e6b1 https://share.transistor.fm/s/3aa24aab In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey speaks with internationally performing concert pianist Daria Vasileva for a wide-ranging conversation on musical transformation, artistic freedom, and the power of storytelling in performance.

From her early training in Russia’s rigorous conservatory system to her artistic awakening in Switzerland, Daria reflects on how different cultural approaches to music shaped her voice as an artist. At the center of the discussion is the music of Alexander Scriabin—its mysticism, emotional intensity, and transformative potential for both performer and audience.

They explore what it means to play from memory, why risk is essential to live performance, how to build a concert program as a narrative journey, and how classical musicians can reach new audiences in a digital age.

Daria also shares insights from her Feminine Power Project, her work championing overlooked composers, and her upcoming debut album Elements.

Some highlights from the conversation:

  • Music as Transformation
    A formative moment hearing Tchaikovsky shifted Daria from passive talent to intentional artistry 
  • Freedom vs. Discipline
    How do technical precision, individuality, expression, and exploration meet in classical training and performance?
  • Scriabin’s Philosophy of Sound
    Music as “ecstatic freedom,” the will of power, and spiritual blossoming 
  • Memory vs. Safety in Performance
    Playing from memory creates risk and deepens immersion and intensity 
  • Concert Programming as Storytelling
    Programs should follow emotional logic, not chronology or genre sequence; how can the program help to guide an audience through the performer’s vision?
  • Reaching New Audiences
    Social media as a powerful tool to bring younger listeners into classical music 
  • Expanding the Canon
    The Feminine Power Project highlights overlooked women composers and forgotten voices 
  • Art in Uncertain Times
    The role of the artist as a source of light, hope, joy 

Throughout the conversation, Daria situates her artistry within a lineage of composers and performers who push the boundaries of musical language and expression. Central, of course, is Alexander Scriabin, whose evolution from late-Romantic lyricism into mysticism and near-atonality becomes a kind of philosophical anchor for her work. We also hear echoes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose symphonic power first awakened her artistic seriousness as a teenager, and Robert Schumann, whose deeply subjective musical voice raises questions about individuality and interpretation. Daria also references lesser-known but compelling figures like Varvara Gaigerova, whose rediscovery reflects her commitment to expanding the canon, as well as pianistic traditions shaped by figures like Anton Rubinstein. Even iconic interpreters such as Vladimir Ashkenazy appear in the background, reminding us that performance itself is a living, evolving conversation across generations, and how new interpretations of familiar music can reawaken a fire within us. 

Several unexpected moments stand out in the conversation, from Daria’s candid relationship with inspiration to finding transformation in performance. Equally striking is her view that technical imperfection may sometimes be worth the trade if it allows for deeper expressive truth. Perhaps most surprising of all is her framing of classical performance as an act of risk: by choosing to play from memory, she deliberately removes safety nets in order to heighten presence, vulnerability, and connection with the audience.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

Composers, Pianists, Performers

·       Alexander Scriabin

·       Varvara Gaigerova

·       Anton Rubenstein

·       Vladimir Ashkenazy 

 

Organizations

·       Kazan State Conservatory https://kazanconservatoire.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=286 

·       Union Square Soiree, Baltimore, Maryland: https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 


About the Guest
Daria Vasileva is an internationally performing concert pianist known for her expressive depth, intellectual rigor, and commitment to musical storytelling. Originally from Kazan, Russia, she trained in the Russian conservatory tradition before continuing her studies in Switzerland. Her work centers on the music of Alexander Scriabin and includes the Feminine Power Project, an initiative dedicated to amplifying women composers. 

Websites & other links

·       https://dariapianist.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/@pianistdariavasileva 

·       https://www.instagram.com/daria.pianist/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Sonata Op. 30 No. 4 by Alexander Scriabin
Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

Skizzen by Varvara Gaigerova 

Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website
The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey speaks with internationally performing concert pianist Daria Vasileva for a wide-ranging conversation on musical transformation, artistic freedom, and the power of storytelling in performance.

From her early training in Russia’s rigorous conservatory system to her artistic awakening in Switzerland, Daria reflects on how different cultural approaches to music shaped her voice as an artist. At the center of the discussion is the music of Alexander Scriabin—its mysticism, emotional intensity, and transformative potential for both performer and audience.

They explore what it means to play from memory, why risk is essential to live performance, how to build a concert program as a narrative journey, and how classical musicians can reach new audiences in a digital age.

Daria also shares insights from her Feminine Power Project, her work championing overlooked composers, and her upcoming debut album Elements.

Some highlights from the conversation:

  • Music as Transformation
    A formative moment hearing Tchaikovsky shifted Daria from passive talent to intentional artistry 
  • Freedom vs. Discipline
    How do technical precision, individuality, expression, and exploration meet in classical training and performance?
  • Scriabin’s Philosophy of Sound
    Music as “ecstatic freedom,” the will of power, and spiritual blossoming 
  • Memory vs. Safety in Performance
    Playing from memory creates risk and deepens immersion and intensity 
  • Concert Programming as Storytelling
    Programs should follow emotional logic, not chronology or genre sequence; how can the program help to guide an audience through the performer’s vision?
  • Reaching New Audiences
    Social media as a powerful tool to bring younger listeners into classical music 
  • Expanding the Canon
    The Feminine Power Project highlights overlooked women composers and forgotten voices 
  • Art in Uncertain Times
    The role of the artist as a source of light, hope, joy 

Throughout the conversation, Daria situates her artistry within a lineage of composers and performers who push the boundaries of musical language and expression. Central, of course, is Alexander Scriabin, whose evolution from late-Romantic lyricism into mysticism and near-atonality becomes a kind of philosophical anchor for her work. We also hear echoes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose symphonic power first awakened her artistic seriousness as a teenager, and Robert Schumann, whose deeply subjective musical voice raises questions about individuality and interpretation. Daria also references lesser-known but compelling figures like Varvara Gaigerova, whose rediscovery reflects her commitment to expanding the canon, as well as pianistic traditions shaped by figures like Anton Rubinstein. Even iconic interpreters such as Vladimir Ashkenazy appear in the background, reminding us that performance itself is a living, evolving conversation across generations, and how new interpretations of familiar music can reawaken a fire within us. 

Several unexpected moments stand out in the conversation, from Daria’s candid relationship with inspiration to finding transformation in performance. Equally striking is her view that technical imperfection may sometimes be worth the trade if it allows for deeper expressive truth. Perhaps most surprising of all is her framing of classical performance as an act of risk: by choosing to play from memory, she deliberately removes safety nets in order to heighten presence, vulnerability, and connection with the audience.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

Composers, Pianists, Performers

·       Alexander Scriabin

·       Varvara Gaigerova

·       Anton Rubenstein

·       Vladimir Ashkenazy 

 

Organizations

·       Kazan State Conservatory https://kazanconservatoire.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=286 

·       Union Square Soiree, Baltimore, Maryland: https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 


About the Guest
Daria Vasileva is an internationally performing concert pianist known for her expressive depth, intellectual rigor, and commitment to musical storytelling. Originally from Kazan, Russia, she trained in the Russian conservatory tradition before continuing her studies in Switzerland. Her work centers on the music of Alexander Scriabin and includes the Feminine Power Project, an initiative dedicated to amplifying women composers. 

Websites & other links

·       https://dariapianist.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/@pianistdariavasileva 

·       https://www.instagram.com/daria.pianist/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Sonata Op. 30 No. 4 by Alexander Scriabin
Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

Skizzen by Varvara Gaigerova 

Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website
The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3474 In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey speaks with internationally performing concert pianist Daria Vasileva for a wide-ranging conversation on musical transformation, artistic freedom, and the power of storytelling in performance.

From her early training in Russia’s rigorous conservatory system to her artistic awakening in Switzerland, Daria reflects on how different cultural approaches to music shaped her voice as an artist. At the center of the discussion is the music of Alexander Scriabin—its mysticism, emotional intensity, and transformative potential for both performer and audience.

They explore what it means to play from memory, why risk is essential to live performance, how to build a concert program as a narrative journey, and how classical musicians can reach new audiences in a digital age.

Daria also shares insights from her Feminine Power Project, her work championing overlooked composers, and her upcoming debut album Elements.

Some highlights from the conversation:

  • Music as Transformation
    A formative moment hearing Tchaikovsky shifted Daria from passive talent to intentional artistry 
  • Freedom vs. Discipline
    How do technical precision, individuality, expression, and exploration meet in classical training and performance?
  • Scriabin’s Philosophy of Sound
    Music as “ecstatic freedom,” the will of power, and spiritual blossoming 
  • Memory vs. Safety in Performance
    Playing from memory creates risk and deepens immersion and intensity 
  • Concert Programming as Storytelling
    Programs should follow emotional logic, not chronology or genre sequence; how can the program help to guide an audience through the performer’s vision?
  • Reaching New Audiences
    Social media as a powerful tool to bring younger listeners into classical music 
  • Expanding the Canon
    The Feminine Power Project highlights overlooked women composers and forgotten voices 
  • Art in Uncertain Times
    The role of the artist as a source of light, hope, joy 

Throughout the conversation, Daria situates her artistry within a lineage of composers and performers who push the boundaries of musical language and expression. Central, of course, is Alexander Scriabin, whose evolution from late-Romantic lyricism into mysticism and near-atonality becomes a kind of philosophical anchor for her work. We also hear echoes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose symphonic power first awakened her artistic seriousness as a teenager, and Robert Schumann, whose deeply subjective musical voice raises questions about individuality and interpretation. Daria also references lesser-known but compelling figures like Varvara Gaigerova, whose rediscovery reflects her commitment to expanding the canon, as well as pianistic traditions shaped by figures like Anton Rubinstein. Even iconic interpreters such as Vladimir Ashkenazy appear in the background, reminding us that performance itself is a living, evolving conversation across generations, and how new interpretations of familiar music can reawaken a fire within us. 

Several unexpected moments stand out in the conversation, from Daria’s candid relationship with inspiration to finding transformation in performance. Equally striking is her view that technical imperfection may sometimes be worth the trade if it allows for deeper expressive truth. Perhaps most surprising of all is her framing of classical performance as an act of risk: by choosing to play from memory, she deliberately removes safety nets in order to heighten presence, vulnerability, and connection with the audience.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

Composers, Pianists, Performers

·       Alexander Scriabin

·       Varvara Gaigerova

·       Anton Rubenstein

·       Vladimir Ashkenazy 

 

Organizations

·       Kazan State Conservatory https://kazanconservatoire.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=286 

·       Union Square Soiree, Baltimore, Maryland: https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 


About the Guest
Daria Vasileva is an internationally performing concert pianist known for her expressive depth, intellectual rigor, and commitment to musical storytelling. Originally from Kazan, Russia, she trained in the Russian conservatory tradition before continuing her studies in Switzerland. Her work centers on the music of Alexander Scriabin and includes the Feminine Power Project, an initiative dedicated to amplifying women composers. 

Websites & other links

·       https://dariapianist.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/@pianistdariavasileva 

·       https://www.instagram.com/daria.pianist/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Sonata Op. 30 No. 4 by Alexander Scriabin
Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

Skizzen by Varvara Gaigerova 

Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website
The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Union Square Soiree: Catharsis & the Human Experience of Listening 2 2 Union Square Soiree: Catharsis & the Human Experience of Listening full 9701e51b-8ebc-4442-90fd-d9c61a572ddb https://share.transistor.fm/s/5da14259 Episode 2 

Union Square Soirée: Catharsis and the Human Experience of Listening 

with Dr. Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders

Episode Description

When world-class musicians meet audience and community in the intimate setting of an historic Baltimore townhome, exceptional things happen. 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, host Scott Catey speaks with Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders of Union Square Soirée, a Baltimore-based salon concert series reviving the historic tradition of intimate house concerts.

Hosted in a beautifully restored 1872 Baltimore rowhouse, Union Square Soirée brings together classical musicians, jazz artists, and emerging performers for concerts where audiences sit just feet from the performers—close enough to see the physical artistry behind the music.

Scott and his guests explore:

·       the revival of the salon concert tradition

·       how intimacy changes the experience of live music

·       the importance of supporting young musicians

·       how salon concerts create community and cultural conversation

·       why audiences are rediscovering small-scale live music in a digital age

·       art for audiences versus art for art’s sake 

·       music, artists, food, wine, and… coffee!


The conversation also touches on Baltimore’s musical culture, the role of conservatories like Peabody Institute, and the power of music performed in human spaces rather than on distant stages.

Juan also reveals a little known secret about Vivaldi’s compositional technique and his musical innovations. 

If you love classical music, live performance, music history, intimate concert experiences, and how each of these can help contribute to the revitalization of a great American city, this episode offers a fascinating look at how a centuries-old tradition is finding new life today.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

People

·       Daria Vasileva, https://dariapianist.com/

o   NB: Daraa will be a guest on the podcast in a few weeks!

·       Jackson “Jackie” Wu, https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/jackie-wu

·       Tristan Latchford, UK Composer (https://www.tristanlatchford.com/about.php) 

·       Daniel Crozier, Composer (Rollins College, Florida, nephew of Fred Rogers) https://www.danielcrozier.com/bio/ 

·       Barbara Mikulski (https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Mikulski.htm) 

·       Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars (https://www.sallybabyssilverdollars.com/)

·       Jonathan DePeri (https://www.gcinschool.com/artist/jonathan-deperi) 

 

Places

·       Union Square neighborhood, https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/union-square/

·       Fells Point (Neighborhood in Baltimore, https://baltimore.org/neighborhoods/fells-point/) 

 

Organizations

·       Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, https://peabody.jhu.edu/ 

·       Creative Alliance in Baltimore (https://creativealliance.org/) 

 

About the Guests

This episode features Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, the founders of the Union Square Soirée salon concert series in Baltimore, Maryland. Union Square Soirée is a unique initiative that brings together emerging and established artists to create intimate, memorable musical experiences that connect talent with the community. 


Guest Information

Dr. Ramilya Saubanova is the founder and president of the Union Square Soirée, as well as a concert pianist with over 23 years of experience performing in prestigious venues across Russia, Europe, and the U.S. She holds Specialist, Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Kazan State Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to her work with the Soirée, she founded the Tatar Music Concert Series in the U.S., blending music, history, and art to offer one-of-a-kind cultural experiences. Ramilya is also a passionate educator and mentor to young musicians. Her debut solo CD will be released in 2026, featuring works by Brahms, Medtner, Latchford, and Crozier.

Juan Gonzalez is founder and vice-president of the Union Square Soirée, where he combines his love for classical music and history with his passion for community engagement. His goal is to foster an appreciation of classical music while connecting local musicians with a wider audience, creating a platform where both emerging and established artists can shine. Juan brings a rich background to the initiative, with over 20 years of experience as educator, advocate, and patron of the arts. 

Websites & other links

Union Square Soiree

·       https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 

·       https://www.instagram.com/unionsquaresoiree/ 

Ramilya Saubanova

·       https://ramilyasaubanova.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/c/RamilyaSaubanova 

·       https://www.instagram.com/ramilya_saubanova/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Ballade No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin
Used with permission.
Artist-preferred link

Étude Tableaux in E flat minor, Op.39, No.5: Appassionato by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Used with permission.

 

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflect...

]]> Episode 2 

Union Square Soirée: Catharsis and the Human Experience of Listening 

with Dr. Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders

Episode Description

When world-class musicians meet audience and community in the intimate setting of an historic Baltimore townhome, exceptional things happen. 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, host Scott Catey speaks with Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders of Union Square Soirée, a Baltimore-based salon concert series reviving the historic tradition of intimate house concerts.

Hosted in a beautifully restored 1872 Baltimore rowhouse, Union Square Soirée brings together classical musicians, jazz artists, and emerging performers for concerts where audiences sit just feet from the performers—close enough to see the physical artistry behind the music.

Scott and his guests explore:

·       the revival of the salon concert tradition

·       how intimacy changes the experience of live music

·       the importance of supporting young musicians

·       how salon concerts create community and cultural conversation

·       why audiences are rediscovering small-scale live music in a digital age

·       art for audiences versus art for art’s sake 

·       music, artists, food, wine, and… coffee!


The conversation also touches on Baltimore’s musical culture, the role of conservatories like Peabody Institute, and the power of music performed in human spaces rather than on distant stages.

Juan also reveals a little known secret about Vivaldi’s compositional technique and his musical innovations. 

If you love classical music, live performance, music history, intimate concert experiences, and how each of these can help contribute to the revitalization of a great American city, this episode offers a fascinating look at how a centuries-old tradition is finding new life today.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

People

·       Daria Vasileva, https://dariapianist.com/

o   NB: Daraa will be a guest on the podcast in a few weeks!

·       Jackson “Jackie” Wu, https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/jackie-wu

·       Tristan Latchford, UK Composer (https://www.tristanlatchford.com/about.php) 

·       Daniel Crozier, Composer (Rollins College, Florida, nephew of Fred Rogers) https://www.danielcrozier.com/bio/ 

·       Barbara Mikulski (https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Mikulski.htm) 

·       Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars (https://www.sallybabyssilverdollars.com/)

·       Jonathan DePeri (https://www.gcinschool.com/artist/jonathan-deperi) 

 

Places

·       Union Square neighborhood, https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/union-square/

·       Fells Point (Neighborhood in Baltimore, https://baltimore.org/neighborhoods/fells-point/) 

 

Organizations

·       Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, https://peabody.jhu.edu/ 

·       Creative Alliance in Baltimore (https://creativealliance.org/) 

 

About the Guests

This episode features Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, the founders of the Union Square Soirée salon concert series in Baltimore, Maryland. Union Square Soirée is a unique initiative that brings together emerging and established artists to create intimate, memorable musical experiences that connect talent with the community. 


Guest Information

Dr. Ramilya Saubanova is the founder and president of the Union Square Soirée, as well as a concert pianist with over 23 years of experience performing in prestigious venues across Russia, Europe, and the U.S. She holds Specialist, Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Kazan State Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to her work with the Soirée, she founded the Tatar Music Concert Series in the U.S., blending music, history, and art to offer one-of-a-kind cultural experiences. Ramilya is also a passionate educator and mentor to young musicians. Her debut solo CD will be released in 2026, featuring works by Brahms, Medtner, Latchford, and Crozier.

Juan Gonzalez is founder and vice-president of the Union Square Soirée, where he combines his love for classical music and history with his passion for community engagement. His goal is to foster an appreciation of classical music while connecting local musicians with a wider audience, creating a platform where both emerging and established artists can shine. Juan brings a rich background to the initiative, with over 20 years of experience as educator, advocate, and patron of the arts. 

Websites & other links

Union Square Soiree

·       https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 

·       https://www.instagram.com/unionsquaresoiree/ 

Ramilya Saubanova

·       https://ramilyasaubanova.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/c/RamilyaSaubanova 

·       https://www.instagram.com/ramilya_saubanova/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Ballade No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin
Used with permission.
Artist-preferred link

Étude Tableaux in E flat minor, Op.39, No.5: Appassionato by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Used with permission.

 

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflect...

]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 3971 Episode 2 

Union Square Soirée: Catharsis and the Human Experience of Listening 

with Dr. Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders

Episode Description

When world-class musicians meet audience and community in the intimate setting of an historic Baltimore townhome, exceptional things happen. 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, host Scott Catey speaks with Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders of Union Square Soirée, a Baltimore-based salon concert series reviving the historic tradition of intimate house concerts.

Hosted in a beautifully restored 1872 Baltimore rowhouse, Union Square Soirée brings together classical musicians, jazz artists, and emerging performers for concerts where audiences sit just feet from the performers—close enough to see the physical artistry behind the music.

Scott and his guests explore:

·       the revival of the salon concert tradition

·       how intimacy changes the experience of live music

·       the importance of supporting young musicians

·       how salon concerts create community and cultural conversation

·       why audiences are rediscovering small-scale live music in a digital age

·       art for audiences versus art for art’s sake 

·       music, artists, food, wine, and… coffee!


The conversation also touches on Baltimore’s musical culture, the role of conservatories like Peabody Institute, and the power of music performed in human spaces rather than on distant stages.

Juan also reveals a little known secret about Vivaldi’s compositional technique and his musical innovations. 

If you love classical music, live performance, music history, intimate concert experiences, and how each of these can help contribute to the revitalization of a great American city, this episode offers a fascinating look at how a centuries-old tradition is finding new life today.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

People

·       Daria Vasileva, https://dariapianist.com/

o   NB: Daraa will be a guest on the podcast in a few weeks!

·       Jackson “Jackie” Wu, https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/jackie-wu

·       Tristan Latchford, UK Composer (https://www.tristanlatchford.com/about.php) 

·       Daniel Crozier, Composer (Rollins College, Florida, nephew of Fred Rogers) https://www.danielcrozier.com/bio/ 

·       Barbara Mikulski (https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Mikulski.htm) 

·       Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars (https://www.sallybabyssilverdollars.com/)

·       Jonathan DePeri (https://www.gcinschool.com/artist/jonathan-deperi) 

 

Places

·       Union Square neighborhood, https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/union-square/

·       Fells Point (Neighborhood in Baltimore, https://baltimore.org/neighborhoods/fells-point/) 

 

Organizations

·       Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, https://peabody.jhu.edu/ 

·       Creative Alliance in Baltimore (https://creativealliance.org/) 

 

About the Guests

This episode features Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, the founders of the Union Square Soirée salon concert series in Baltimore, Maryland. Union Square Soirée is a unique initiative that brings together emerging and established artists to create intimate, memorable musical experiences that connect talent with the community. 


Guest Information

Dr. Ramilya Saubanova is the founder and president of the Union Square Soirée, as well as a concert pianist with over 23 years of experience performing in prestigious venues across Russia, Europe, and the U.S. She holds Specialist, Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Kazan State Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to her work with the Soirée, she founded the Tatar Music Concert Series in the U.S., blending music, history, and art to offer one-of-a-kind cultural experiences. Ramilya is also a passionate educator and mentor to young musicians. Her debut solo CD will be released in 2026, featuring works by Brahms, Medtner, Latchford, and Crozier.

Juan Gonzalez is founder and vice-president of the Union Square Soirée, where he combines his love for classical music and history with his passion for community engagement. His goal is to foster an appreciation of classical music while connecting local musicians with a wider audience, creating a platform where both emerging and established artists can shine. Juan brings a rich background to the initiative, with over 20 years of experience as educator, advocate, and patron of the arts. 

Websites & other links

Union Square Soiree

·       https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 

·       https://www.instagram.com/unionsquaresoiree/ 

Ramilya Saubanova

·       https://ramilyasaubanova.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/c/RamilyaSaubanova 

·       https://www.instagram.com/ramilya_saubanova/ 


Music featured in this episode:

Ballade No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin
Used with permission.
Artist-preferred link

Étude Tableaux in E flat minor, Op.39, No.5: Appassionato by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Used with permission.

 

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflect...

]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No Twelve Tones & Six Billion Songs... A Conversation with Andre Floyd 1 1 Twelve Tones & Six Billion Songs... A Conversation with Andre Floyd full c1bc821e-83ff-41e0-a0a0-dbf3f7bfe8f6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/874bd379

Episode 1: Twelve Tones & Six Billion Songs... A Conversation with Andre Floyd


Episode Summary

In this inaugural episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with longtime friend and musician Andre Floyd, to discuss his life, career, and philosophy. 

 

We talk about the stories we carry, how meaning evolves, and how lives are sometimes unexpectedly intertwined. Andre looks back over a life and career lived as a musical “cobbler,” and he talks about resilience, amplifying marginalized voices, uplifting community, and creating opportunities for self-determination and self-respect among young people from cultures that often get erased or misrepresented. He also remembers the ways he has used music for good throughout his life, teaching Montessori, providing music therapy, and the importance of sharing music, especially in difficult times. 

What unfolds is not just a conversation about gigs and bands, but about pivot points—those moments when life gets turned over, takes a new direction, or transforms. From singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field in 1982, to playing pool with Seamus Heaney, to performing at Luke’s alongside Montana icon Jay Rummel and others, Andre reflects on what it means to build a life by “cobbling together” community, opportunity, talent, and instinct.

Music as life is full of both possibility and responsibility, and Andre shares his wisdom on both, and more. 

In This Conversation

  • Growing up in an Air Force family and finding the guitar at age 11 
  • Cubs vs. Expos: Singing the American and Canadian national anthems at Wrigley Field—and in the wrong key 
  • The Chicago years: mentorship, management, and cultural education 
  • The Missoula barstool literary scene
  • Jay Rummel: brilliance, anger, and artistic obsession 
  • Mood Iguana, Tapas Records, and the sociology of collaborative music-making
  • Religion, separation, and community fracture 
  • America’s unresolved racial history and its cultural consequences 
  • Teaching and mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana

About Andre Floyd

Andre Floyd is a Montana-based musician whose career spans decades of performance, recording, collaboration, and community-building. The son of an Air Force Tech Sergeant, Andre’s early life moved from Alabama to Kansas, Maine, Panama (where he kept an ocelot as a pet and dated Tata Vega), and eventually Montana.

He has performed across the country and around the globe, with some of world’s most storied artists. His band Mood Iguana was a staple of the regional scene before he dissolved it rather than allow it to become less than his original vision.

Today, his work increasingly centers on mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana—offering tools for self-definition and nontraditional success.

Links

Facebook

Spotify

 

Music Featured

“Your Garden” by Andre Floyd

“Found True Love” by Andre Floyd

Used with permission.

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form podcast exploring the lived experience of working musicians and music-adjacent creatives whose work shapes communities in visible and invisible ways.

Written and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, produced by Ravenna Studios.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]>

Episode 1: Twelve Tones & Six Billion Songs... A Conversation with Andre Floyd


Episode Summary

In this inaugural episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with longtime friend and musician Andre Floyd, to discuss his life, career, and philosophy. 

 

We talk about the stories we carry, how meaning evolves, and how lives are sometimes unexpectedly intertwined. Andre looks back over a life and career lived as a musical “cobbler,” and he talks about resilience, amplifying marginalized voices, uplifting community, and creating opportunities for self-determination and self-respect among young people from cultures that often get erased or misrepresented. He also remembers the ways he has used music for good throughout his life, teaching Montessori, providing music therapy, and the importance of sharing music, especially in difficult times. 

What unfolds is not just a conversation about gigs and bands, but about pivot points—those moments when life gets turned over, takes a new direction, or transforms. From singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field in 1982, to playing pool with Seamus Heaney, to performing at Luke’s alongside Montana icon Jay Rummel and others, Andre reflects on what it means to build a life by “cobbling together” community, opportunity, talent, and instinct.

Music as life is full of both possibility and responsibility, and Andre shares his wisdom on both, and more. 

In This Conversation

  • Growing up in an Air Force family and finding the guitar at age 11 
  • Cubs vs. Expos: Singing the American and Canadian national anthems at Wrigley Field—and in the wrong key 
  • The Chicago years: mentorship, management, and cultural education 
  • The Missoula barstool literary scene
  • Jay Rummel: brilliance, anger, and artistic obsession 
  • Mood Iguana, Tapas Records, and the sociology of collaborative music-making
  • Religion, separation, and community fracture 
  • America’s unresolved racial history and its cultural consequences 
  • Teaching and mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana

About Andre Floyd

Andre Floyd is a Montana-based musician whose career spans decades of performance, recording, collaboration, and community-building. The son of an Air Force Tech Sergeant, Andre’s early life moved from Alabama to Kansas, Maine, Panama (where he kept an ocelot as a pet and dated Tata Vega), and eventually Montana.

He has performed across the country and around the globe, with some of world’s most storied artists. His band Mood Iguana was a staple of the regional scene before he dissolved it rather than allow it to become less than his original vision.

Today, his work increasingly centers on mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana—offering tools for self-definition and nontraditional success.

Links

Facebook

Spotify

 

Music Featured

“Your Garden” by Andre Floyd

“Found True Love” by Andre Floyd

Used with permission.

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form podcast exploring the lived experience of working musicians and music-adjacent creatives whose work shapes communities in visible and invisible ways.

Written and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, produced by Ravenna Studios.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 4543

Episode 1: Twelve Tones & Six Billion Songs... A Conversation with Andre Floyd


Episode Summary

In this inaugural episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with longtime friend and musician Andre Floyd, to discuss his life, career, and philosophy. 

 

We talk about the stories we carry, how meaning evolves, and how lives are sometimes unexpectedly intertwined. Andre looks back over a life and career lived as a musical “cobbler,” and he talks about resilience, amplifying marginalized voices, uplifting community, and creating opportunities for self-determination and self-respect among young people from cultures that often get erased or misrepresented. He also remembers the ways he has used music for good throughout his life, teaching Montessori, providing music therapy, and the importance of sharing music, especially in difficult times. 

What unfolds is not just a conversation about gigs and bands, but about pivot points—those moments when life gets turned over, takes a new direction, or transforms. From singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field in 1982, to playing pool with Seamus Heaney, to performing at Luke’s alongside Montana icon Jay Rummel and others, Andre reflects on what it means to build a life by “cobbling together” community, opportunity, talent, and instinct.

Music as life is full of both possibility and responsibility, and Andre shares his wisdom on both, and more. 

In This Conversation

  • Growing up in an Air Force family and finding the guitar at age 11 
  • Cubs vs. Expos: Singing the American and Canadian national anthems at Wrigley Field—and in the wrong key 
  • The Chicago years: mentorship, management, and cultural education 
  • The Missoula barstool literary scene
  • Jay Rummel: brilliance, anger, and artistic obsession 
  • Mood Iguana, Tapas Records, and the sociology of collaborative music-making
  • Religion, separation, and community fracture 
  • America’s unresolved racial history and its cultural consequences 
  • Teaching and mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana

About Andre Floyd

Andre Floyd is a Montana-based musician whose career spans decades of performance, recording, collaboration, and community-building. The son of an Air Force Tech Sergeant, Andre’s early life moved from Alabama to Kansas, Maine, Panama (where he kept an ocelot as a pet and dated Tata Vega), and eventually Montana.

He has performed across the country and around the globe, with some of world’s most storied artists. His band Mood Iguana was a staple of the regional scene before he dissolved it rather than allow it to become less than his original vision.

Today, his work increasingly centers on mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana—offering tools for self-definition and nontraditional success.

Links

Facebook

Spotify

 

Music Featured

“Your Garden” by Andre Floyd

“Found True Love” by Andre Floyd

Used with permission.

 

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form podcast exploring the lived experience of working musicians and music-adjacent creatives whose work shapes communities in visible and invisible ways.

Written and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, produced by Ravenna Studios.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> music, musicians, music interview, music history, songwriter interview, creative process, music makers, audio production, studio culture, wisdom No The Sum of All Wisdom Trailer The Sum of All Wisdom Trailer trailer febb3d5b-3a86-4e0f-8310-ea624db7acb3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d53e5242 The Sum of All Wisdom is a podcast about how music is made—and what it makes possible.
Host Scott Catey speaks with musicians, producers, engineers, and other creative makers about craft, process, and meaning. This short trailer introduces the spirit of the series and the conversations to come.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> The Sum of All Wisdom is a podcast about how music is made—and what it makes possible.
Host Scott Catey speaks with musicians, producers, engineers, and other creative makers about craft, process, and meaning. This short trailer introduces the spirit of the series and the conversations to come.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:56:05 -0500 Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer Dr. Scott Catey, musician, broadcaster, ethnographer 83 The Sum of All Wisdom is a podcast about how music is made—and what it makes possible.
Host Scott Catey speaks with musicians, producers, engineers, and other creative makers about craft, process, and meaning. This short trailer introduces the spirit of the series and the conversations to come.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ]]> Trailer, music, music interviews, wisdom No