Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
Kast Media | Ben Folds
Join us in celebrating and commiserating with some of the world's foremost creatives about their endlessly various artistic processes. Not just in the arts, but in science, medicine, politics, technology, and more. Together we will figure out ways to maintain a spirit of curiosity and innovation in our everyday lives. NY Times best-selling author and musician Ben Folds hosts a podcast focused on enlightening conversations each week with guests.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
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Top 10 Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Marianne Williamson - Using Spirituality to Overcome Writer’s Block and Discovering the Past to Change the World
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
04/29/21 • 58 min
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.
Caleb Teicher - Living as A Part Time Artist and Expanding the Scope of Your Medium
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
04/22/21 • 46 min
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.
Jon Batiste - Matching Technique with Creativity and How Discipline Differs from Drive
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
04/15/21 • 52 min
Today, we talked to Jon Batiste, musician and band leader for Late Show with Stephen Colbert. We chatted about music theory, staying motivated in quarantine, and ways to carve out time for your art.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Agustín Fuentes - Discovering the Evolution of Creativity and Why Monkeys Steal Things
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
04/08/21 • 48 min
Today, he talked to anthropologist Agustín Fuentes about the role of creativity in our evolution and survival, how society causes writer's block, and the time a macaque monkey stole Ben's glasses.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bishop Briggs - Becoming a Full-Time Musician and Seeing Past the Glamour of an Industry
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
08/05/21 • 55 min
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 glamor of being a singer and realizing that the people you work with is one of the most important aspects of being creative.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Daniel Levitin - How Science and Creativity Overlap
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
08/12/21 • 51 min
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 create music, how our definitions and interpretation of sound have changed, the divide and overlap between science and creativity, and how the ability to recognize sound is as old as 800 million years.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Emily King - How Imperfection Creates Soul
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
08/19/21 • 51 min
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 awake with your hands in your pockets is the best one that ends up on the album.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Susan Rogers - How our Mind Naturally Recognizes Music
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
07/29/21 • 49 min
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 like, and how styles of music are constantly changing and evolving. We also speak about the human baseline of innate music knowledge and understanding of theory, and how we can learn to become better listeners.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Alice Major - Shaping the Sounds of Language
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
07/22/21 • 52 min
Today’s guest is a former poet laureate in Canada, 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. We talked about how poetry isn’t just about the words, but the part as a whole and how it flows piece to piece.
You can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mo Willems - Art as A Passion and Business and Learning to Stay A Child at Heart
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds
05/13/21 • 55 min
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 can submit your questions to Ben here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BenFolds
And check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ix6szTyjg3vmx1sIj-Vfw
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds have?
Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds currently has 52 episodes available.
What topics does Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds cover?
The podcast is about Music, Podcasts and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds?
The episode title 'Alice Major - Shaping the Sounds of Language' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds?
The average episode length on Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds is 50 minutes.
How often are episodes of Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds released?
Episodes of Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds?
The first episode of Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds was released on Feb 19, 2021.
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