Welcome to SongCast, CSI's podcast network

Latest Episodes

The One with Michael Kelly

The multi-faceted singer/writer/producer Michael Kelly joins the pod, sharing reflections on a career that started in song and have only rippled out from there. Stick around for a conversation about what classical musicians can stand to learn from pop artists, and new song cycles about poets who couldn't keep their hands off each other. Intrigued yet? Dive in with a whole new episode of Song Cycle, your go-to for chats with today's most pioneering performers and entrepreneurs!***Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!Submit a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment! Shoutout to composer Lisa Neher as this month's Songster in Your Neighborhood!***Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Swedish Song with Michael Sikich

Today we cover not one, not two, but THREE Swedish songs with special guest co-host Michael Sikich. Guest vocalists include soprano Sofie Asplund, mezzo-soprano Ann-Kristin Jones, and baritone Luthando Qave.Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

The One with Robert Peavler & Dennis Tobenski

We've done a lot of pulling back the curtain on the life of composers, but we haven't had the chance to hang with another cornerstone of our industry - the publishers - until NOW! Laura and Sam are joined by super-cool-men-on-a-mission Robert Peavler of North Star Music and Dennis Tobenski of NewMusicShelf (where you can pick up Laura's 40@40 Anthology). These gents share their "why" for starting their publishing companies (hint: their reasons are far more noble than making money). Listen along for a rare glimpse into the world of publishing - and composers, stick around to hear how you can get your music picked up!Then, Laura and Sam answer a fantastic #TeamArtSong Mailbag question from Holly in Winchester, VA about how to collaborate with composers when premiering their songs. And Laura shares a Songster in Your Neighborhood spotlight on Denise Rivera. Pick up her amazing anthology for beginning singers, Art Songs for New Beginnings, today!***Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!Submit a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!***Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Afro-Latin Songs (ft. Zuly Inirio)

In the final episode of Season 3, our guest Dr. Zuly Inirio of the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project shows us some fabulous songs by Afro-Latin composers that she uses in her concerts entitled ¡Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music!Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Zuly Inirio, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:Modesta Bor: "Guitarra" Tríptico sobra poesía Cubana Errollyn Wallen: "My feet may take a little while"Antonio Carlos Gomes: "Suspiro d’alma"Xavier Montsalvatge: "Cuba dentro de un piano" Cinco canciones negras Recorded at  the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.So Lit Song Lit will be back in August with Season 4, with a whole season of women composers! Until then, make sure to check out CSI's other podcasts, Follow the Lieder and Song Cycle.***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Finding Home: Der Wanderer an den Mond

What makes a home? Is it a person, a feeling, a place? The lonely voice of Schubert’s wanderer, wondering at the moon where his place in the world might be, resonates with the voices of today as we hear from friends of the podcast. Ways to help the refugee crisis:https://www.unrefugees.org/https://humanrightsfirst.org/https://www.globalrefuge.org/news/5-ways-to-help-refugees-immigrants-in-2025/https://www.rescue.orghttps://refugeerights.org/Letters from refugee childrenhttps://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/letters-from-syrian-refugee-childrenLetter by Andrew Lamhttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/refugee-american-experience_b_2295293

Hosts

Brian Sikich

Brian Sikich

Host of Follow the Lieder
Ellen Rissinger

Ellen Rissinger

Host of So Lit Song Lit
Laura LeVoir

Laura LeVoir

Host of Song Cycle
Laura Strickling

Laura Strickling

Host of Song Cycle