Podcast

Thyme wonders how God deals with the world’s thoughts when she has enough trouble sorting through her own…

As Thyme talks with her best pal, she questions the scope of God’s job …

Thyme has a heck of a time trying to figure out whether God is really there. Find out what she learns as the conversation continues!

This series, Havin’ A Talk With God, is a preview of a new Podcast Musical set to premiere in September 2022. Get to know Thyme Quinn — and through the course of her conversations with her good ol’ pal, God, eavesdrop on the thought of a complex character searching for Truth.

In the words of Thyme Quinn, our main character, we launch a new series! “‘Scuse me, Pete, but I’d jus’ like ta’ take a quick moment here an’ invite all these good folks out here to join me an’ ma’ special friend in a new different kinda episode that’s sure ta’ git your day started on the right foot.”

Podcasting — The evolution of the musical is upon us. It’s time for new works. Today we offer a prelisten to songs from a new musical written by Peter Link and Ragan Courtney: Searching For My Father”…

Scattershot Symphony will now evolve from the past, to the present and into the future. It’s inevitable. So here we are at the cutting edge of 21st century musicals – the musical podcast.

In order to break traditions, one first has to know the traditions. The traditions of songwriting are the fundamentals developed over the centuries from Beethoven to George Gershwin to Billy Joel to Adele.  Writing for the theater always gave me license to stretch the rules of the Pop music traditions.

At some point, in a life of songwriting, I had to ask myself, “Where am I going with all this?” How many “I want you, I need you, I love you songs” must I write? Can I write?So, to a certain extent, hopefully maintaining structure and foundation and the fundamentals of songwriting, I decided to just write …

Songs from the Trunk presents some older, but promising material that begs to be reworked, brought up to date, and developed further. Or, for that matter, perhaps just left in the trunk. So I’m asking you, our devoted listeners, to weigh in and vote on possible next steps for each song.

Welcome to this Special Event podcast. Is Anybody Listening? was designed as a concert piece that premiered, live from New York in 2016 at the Sheen Center, where it received rave reviews and standing ovations. The production featured the award-winning performances of Jenny Burton and Julia Wade along with a cast of 7 top NY vocalists and the music of Yours Truly.

Many of our listeners have asked to present more pop songs. So we first decided to define the term “Pop Songs”. Having established that, we’ll take you on a grand tour of decades of Pop songs ranging from the standard to the bizarre. Ones that rock the house and ones that touch the heart —

Take a deep dive into the masterful work of various genres of instrumental music recorded over the years.  The music is slammin’ and the stories told are both inspiring and educational.

In this interview with John Danny Madden, Background Vocal Arranger extraordinaire, we not only learn about the career of this most talented man, but we also explore his work in detail by breaking down the tracks of a number of songs and learning the hows and whys of Vocal Arranging. You’ll laugh and gasp along with me at his marvelous work and learn to listen to music on a whole new level.

We’ve all experienced the tougher side of life these last couple of years … It’s about time we get back up from this unfortunate time. So, in this Episode 14 of Scattershot Symphony we offer a kind of Musical Guide to Recovery.

In Episode 6 we dealt with songs that explored the nature of romantic love. Here in Episode 13 we look at the word “Love” with much wider eyes (and ears).   If you’ve never listened to a Scattershot Symphony Podcast, this might be one for you to start with.

 Jenny Burton visits us live, discussing in-depth her new EP, New World. The timing is perfect for this four-song approach to a new and changing world hopefully post-pandemic.  Listen to music and hear Jenny’s thoughts on the making of this powerful musical approach to change.

This Episode covers a wide range of Pop music — hence the name, “A Scattershot Of Pop.” Join us as we revisit and share insights into the making of and development of everything from ballads to dance music.  If you lived through this time, we promise you a walk back through some of the most memorable sounds and grooves of your lifetime of listening.

On My Way Home – An Immigrant’s Lament is a newly released song written, produced and performed by Peter Link. The issues of immigration today are as perplexing a problem as many of the most challenging issues that we, as the human race, face.  The song is one man’s story of his journey as an Immigrant to America.

Sacred Sunday Morning Part 2 – Volume 2 is an exploration of stories and concepts from the Bible. With Guest Artist Julia Wade, both Link and Wade discuss and investigate through song and conversation some of their favorite Bible stories and themes.

In Sacred Sunday Morning Part 1 – Volume 2, the amazing work and voice of Julia Wade gets a beautiful presentation here as she performs and delves into her process of preparation to record.  We also hear from Mindy Jostyn and The Jenny Burton Experience.

Episode 8 – Part 2 — A Matter Of Life and Death — And The Probability of Life Eternal. This episode was written and assembled for all who, in one way or another, have been touched by the Pandemic of 2020.  That’s an audience of billions.

Episode 8 – Part 1 — A Matter Of Life and Death — And The Probability of Life Eternal. For those questioning life, in mourning, fearing for their own life or even wondering why we have all come to this, it is my hope that they will find some solace from the enlightenment of these songs and the gentle nature of the content of this episode.

Basically Gospel music emerged from the Spirituals of slaves into what it is today — a genre of music that influences nearly all other genres. Peter Link opens up his world of Gospel primarily through the magnificent talents of Jenny Burton and a host of other NYC studio singers that he had the vast opportunity to work with for decades. 

There is an arc, a kind of universal story, to this Episode #6 of Scattershot Symphony. It is a song cycle of the rise and fall (and the eternality) of Love … specifically romantic love.  Love, certainly one of the most important concepts dealt with by each of us in life on Planet Earth, is looked at and listened to in song on many different angles as our story is told. 

In these most difficult times we are each faced with a constant fear of the future. Sacred Sunday Morning, through music and commentary, seeks to turn thought to a higher calling. When you experience this special podcast, pay particular attention to the lyrics of the songs. Sunday morning — a morning like no other.

“I’ve always loved great singers … What makes them extra-ordinary is an innate ability to get inside the lyric of a song and live it. Their greatness lies not in the instrument of their voice, but rather in the commitment to each precious moment of the song — simply put, the commitment by the actor in the singer. What the great ones do is to take it far beyond the music and the lyric.  That’s what makes us, the audience, weep, or joy, or soar or sigh — the actor in the singer.”

Here we are talking about humor. It seems like a good direction after dealing with serious issues of the world in Episode #2. So I ask you, what makes us laugh? Well, the absurd makes us laugh: “An elephant and a hippopotamus walk into a bar …” Then there are sight gags: A man slips on a banana peel. There’s all kinds of humor.  In this particular episode, I share songs that in some way or another feature a little bit of all of the above.

This week being the second Installment of this podcast series, I’m going to let the music mostly speak …

Today we address The World We Live In — it’s problems and some real solutions. These are songs performed by some of my favorite artists, all written, produced and orchestrated by yours truly – except when duly noted.

These are songs I always wanted to sing myself … and finally did. And so, I bring you the music of a lifetime of composition – often presented in several movements.  That’s the nature of these podcasts — a scattershot look, at a lifetime of music … From a variety of genres: Pop, Rock, R&B, Reggae, Gospel, Musical Theater, Funk, Inspirational and … whatever … Basically the music we all grew up on.