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Latest Episodes
Randy Newman’s “Cowboy” & “Somewhere” from West Side Story dissected with Patrick Ballantyne
Patrick Ballantyne stopped by to pull apart two of his fave songs. The open and emotive “Cowboy” by Randy Newman, and “Somewhere” from West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein. Stuff we talked about: Patrick Ballantyne’s website
Robert Priest – how to write songs for children
We had the pleasure of having the prolific Toronto poet, novelist, and singer/songwriter Robert Priest (with David Hynes on guitar) back in the studio to share a couple of his children’s songs. We talked about… testing a song on a 6-year old
Bridging Jazz and Pop with Sean Bertram
Sean Bertram returned to the show following the release of his debut album, The Right Place. We talked about: Sean’s studies at Humber College in Music Guitar poetics in your lyrics changing chords and melodic centre between sections of your song
On composing jazz songs with Paul Novotny
Paul Novotny (born Peterborough, Ontario, 1958) is a composer, bassist, producer, and engineer. He is the bassist on the international runaway hit video-game, CUPHEAD; over 50,000 sales in 2017. As a producer,
How to write a break-up song
True to form for Song Talk Radio, the day before Valentine’s Day seemed a good day to talk about break-up songs. So Phil brought “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)” by Jim Croce, Neel chose “One More Minute” by “Weird Al” Yankovic,
Gravely James: Rockin’ the blues with soul
Blues-rock-soul singer-songwriter Gravely James shares his journey from a trumpet-playing kid to a kickin’ singer-songwriter. He also treated us to two incredibly energetic performances of his songs. We talked about: Song Studio
Deep Dive: Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields – how do they work? with Blair Packham
Songwriting master Blair Packham stopped by and we gave a deep dive on The Beatles Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. Friend of the show Mike MacInnes sat in for Bruce. Stuff we talked about: John Lennon / Paul McCartney comparisons
How to manage your own career with Avery Florence
Avery Florence stopped by the studio on the cusp of her first tour. She was excited! “Road trip!” Her songs were a treasure trove of musical delight, and her tips about managing her own career were helpful to anyone trying to make a living as a singer/...
Great songwriting tips from Jeffery Straker
Canadian and internationally-reaching singer/songwriter Jeffery Straker joined us to talk about his process, collaborations, and great songwriting advice. We talked about: Conservatory training vs. ear training
Songs from your childhood
We talked about the first songs that resonated with us as kids. Stuff We Talked About: Our Anthony moving on Turns Out Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ Was Lifted from a 1972 Song by The Hollies Moving to the minor on the 4th chord February Album Month FAUM.org