Today’s guest is Derek Waters, the actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. You’ll recognize Derek from his hit series Drunk History as well as from his many other creative pursuits. Derek is a force, through and through, collaborating and contributing in any creative space he works in. On this episode we dive into talking about playing classical music during sports games, being hyper-specific while having the big picture in your head, the benefits of formulas, when to ditch...

Today’s guest is Scott Hicks, the Australian film director and screenwriter. Best known for writing and directing Shine, the biopic of pianist David Helfgott, Scott received nominations for two Academy Awards. From Shine, Scott has gone on to direct many more films, such as No Reservations, The Lucky One, and Heart of Atlantis. On this episode we talk about Scott working early in his career with Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, how a filmset is a tool for education by shadowing the work of...

Today’s guest is William Shatner! Known for his iconic role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, William is an actor, author, producer, director, screenwriter, and singer. His newest album, “BILL,” is releasing 9/24.  Ben and William collaborated on the album “Has Been,” released in 2004. In this episode, we talk about what separates an amateur from a professional (even if an amateur is more talented), saying you could have done something versus actually doing it, horseback...

Today’s guest is singer-songwriter, pianist, and orchestral composer Gabriel Kahane. He’s released several albums to critical acclaim, and he’s written essays for publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times. Gabriel has a unique approach to songwriting - in 2016, he traveled all around the United States gathering inspiration for his album Book of Travelers.  On this episode, we dive into Gabe’s recent year-long hiatus from the internet, in which he discovered how genuine human...

Today’s guest is Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Greg has had an impressive career - as the co-founder of a successful vinyl record store, the Vice President of Development at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and now as the leader of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Greg and Ben crossed paths in 2014 during Ben’s efforts to save RCA Studio A in Nashville from demolition. Out of the blue, Greg wrote an amazing letter of support that got lots of...

Today’s guest is the iconic New York City drag artist, TV personality, and political activist, Marti Gould Cummings. Marti's been a regular fixture in the nightlife world for nearly a decade. They host shows such as Dragged and The Marti Report, and they have a podcast called Marti Talks. Marti is known for combining the world of drag with politics and activism. On this episode we talk about thinking outside the conventional boxes of society, as well as the origins, meaning, and constant...

Today, my guest is singer, songwriter, and actor, Josh Groban! He's performed all around the world for over a decade, and in 2017, he starred in the hit Broadway musical, Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812. As an actor, you'd recognize him in tv shows and films such as - The Good Cop, Crazy Stupid Love, The Office, and so much more.  On this episode, we discussed sticking to your own style, even when the trend points a different direction, having your serious songwriting albums...

Today, my guest is singer and songwriter Emily King. She’s an amazing R&B artist with four albums and three Grammy nominations under her belt. She released an album in 2020 called Sides, which is all acoustic versions of previously released songs. On this episode, we discuss how to find your authentic voice in a world where you can have unlimited versions on a track, how recording from home and at a studio can change your creative perspective, and how sometimes the track you do half...

Today, my guest is Dr. Daniel Levitin. He’s a neuroscientist, musician, and author. His research encompasses music, the brain, health, productivity and creativity. Publishing more than 300 articles, authoring four New York Times Bestsellers, and serving as a music consultant for several musical groups, Daniel’s insight and ideas have been felt far and wide. Daniel's ears have influenced the work of Blue Öyster Cult, Chris Isaak, and many many more. On this episode, we discuss why humans...

Today’s guest is the musician Bishop Briggs. Her first single Wild Horses was released in 2015, and she's been cranking out music every year since then. Bishop has always been on the grind, starting out in coffee shops and small venues (which she refers to as “piss rooms,”) working hard to become the musician she is today.  We dive into the realities of being a musician full-time and running it as a business. The reality of how grief can be inspiration for your work. And cutting pass the...

Today’s guest is the record producer, sound engineer, and professor, Susan Rogers. She’s worked as a studio engineer with artists such as Prince, Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, and many more. Susan has a doctorate in music cognition and psychoacoustics from McGill University, and she’s a professor at Berklee College of Music in the Music Production and Engineering department.    On this episode, we talk about how our music tastes develop, how our ears physically react when we hear music we...

Today’s guest is the Canadian poet laureate, author, and essayist, Alice Major. She’s published eleven collections of poetry, two novels for young adults, and an award-winning collection of essays about poetry and science. Her work has appeared in a variety of anthologies, and she’s active in many literary and arts organizations all over Canada. We spoke about the creations of associations in our world and how words and language contain a sound and shape that can be played with and formed....

Today, my guest is singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Kishi Bashi. He’s recorded and toured internationally as a violinist with a variety of artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal. His latest album, Omoiyari, was released in 2019. He is currently co-directing a feature length documentary of the same name about minority identity and the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII. This year, Kishi released his Emigrant EP, a companion piece to...

Today we spoke with Sarah Donnelly, an inspiring, award-winning teacher and musician based in Australia. She recently received an ARIA award for a video project she made with her students during COVID-19 lockdown in remote Wilcannia, Australia. Sarah promotes creativity inside and outside of her classroom - connecting the community around her and inspiring generations to create music, anywhere and any way they can. We spoke about connecting people where internet isn’t a given and promoting...

Today we spoke with Rove McManus, an award-winning comedian, television and radio presenter, producer and media personality. His career has spanned many different platforms throughout the years. Voted most popular personality on Australian Television, Rove has called TV home but has expanded to create for standup comedy, radio, film, and much more. On the episode Rove spoke about how to get started in media and taught Ben how to hone his skills as a podcast interviewer and host.   You can...

Today we spoke with George Massenburg, a living legend in the recording industry. A world-class electronics inventor who created the parametric equalizer, he's designed, built and managed recording studios, and his George Massenburg Labs (GML) equipment can be found in nearly every notable studio in the world. He's a multi-Grammy award winner with hundreds of recording and producing credits spanning a 40 year career, working with leading artists in virtually all genres of music.  Currently...

Today we spoke with Ruby Amanfu, the Nashville-based Grammy Award nominated songwriter, recording artist, actor, and activist. From her collaborations with Jack White, H.E.R., and Sara Bareilles to her expansive array of solo work, her voice as a musician has been heard by the world in many different ways. We also spoke about her recent collaboration with Leigh Nash on the song “Good Trouble,” which released in the wake of the BLM George Floyd protests and covering the importance of having...

Today we spoke with Ryan O’Connell, the amazing writer, actor, showrunner, director, comedian, and activist. We spoke about formulating a writing process, how the content we create changes with age, wearing your influences on your sleeves to create something for yourself, owning your troll, and much more. We also spoke about Ryan’s Netflix show “Special” and about creating content that is for a community but also comes from a very personal place. You can submit your questions to Ben...

Today we spoke with Jeff Lawson, the Co-Founder and CEO of Twilio. His career has spanned over many years and over many companies, notably serving as the CTO of Stubhub. We talked about the creativity of programming and how creating a playground with problems to fix inspires coders to tinker and create solutions. Jeff’s goal is one of collaboration, working with his programming “artists” to get the best out of people and to be on the cutting edge of finding the next problem to fix. You can...

Today we spoke with Sara Bareilles, the amazing singer-songwriter, actress, author, and producer. From hit songs such as Love Song and Brave, to her newest project Girls5eva, a TV series streaming on Peacock, Sara is an unstoppable creative force.  In this episode, we talked about how your childhood influences your creativity, why it's important to find the right collaborators, and ways to navigate a male-dominated industry so you can define your unique voice and learn that you don’t have to...

Today we spoke with Bob Saget, the comedian, actor, host, and podcaster. From hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos and playing Danny Tanner in Full House to his long history of stand up and his podcast, Bob has entertained millions. In this episode we talked about needing a work ethic as an entertainer, having a dynamic and evolving career as a creative, and writing songs about being old men when we were just teenagers. Other topics include knowing when you have 2 hours of material vs 2...

Today we spoke with Mo Willems, the New York Times best-selling children’s author, illustrator, animator, and playwright. He’s known for his characters such as The Pigeon, Elephant, Piggie, and many more. In our conversation we talked about how a character is a child’s best friend and how children often are the best critics, noticing details in books that adults seldom see. We dive deep in the various forms of creativity and how it can be applied in different forms, so take a listen!    You...

Today, we chatted with Maegan Morrow, a cutting edge music therapist showing that music can be used for more than just enjoyment. In our conversation, we discuss how the human body reacts physically to beats and music, showing that music and rhythm is essential to certain processes. Maegan is most known for her work with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, using music to help Gabby to speak after she suffered from brain damage from an assassination attempt.    You can submit your questions...

Today, we spoke with Marianne Williamson, the author of 13 books and counting. Marianne has a unique approach to creativity with how she infuses spirituality into her process. This mindfulness influences her work, and we had a really interesting conversation about why we create art - in a deeper, more metaphysical way.   You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we spoke with Caleb Teicher, a dancer and choreographer based in New York City. We chatted about being a creative while also being a human being, how artists get and grow ideas, and finding new approaches and perspectives in defined mediums, such as dance.    You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.