Best Notation Podcasts (2025)

1
Building The YC of Biotech with Zach Weinberg 58:24

8h ago58:24

58:24

Zach Weinberg, co-founder and CEO of Curie.Bio, is redefining early-stage biotech investing with an operator’s mindset and a founder-first philosophy. His approach combines funding with operational support and direct access to world-class drug hunters to dramatically increase odds of success. Today, Zach sits down with Nick Chirls, GP at Asylum Ven…

1
#41 Learning a new instrument 40:53

11h ago40:53

40:53

In this month’s episode, Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin are discussing: Learning a new instrument. 5 Tips for Jam Sessions The great online resource for learning the bass guitar, Study Bass by Andrew Pouska Things to consider when purchasing an instrument. Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show. Study Bass, Andrew Pouska https://www.study…

1
OTL #972: Confronting student loan debt in Illinois, New music from AJ Rosales, The Secret History of The Radiants 43:09

3d ago43:09

43:09

Mike Stephen discusses the student loan debt problem in Illinois with Illinois Answers Project journalist Claire Murphy, gets the lowdown on new local music from AJ Rosales, and discovers the Secret History of the 1960s Chicago doo-wop group The Radiants.By Mike Stephen

1
196 - Theology of Hiking - Fr. John Nepil 45:56

8d ago45:56

45:56

Fr. John Nepil, priest and mountaineer, joins the podcast to discuss his book To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail. Topics discussed include: The modern view of "nature" vs. God's creation A morally responsible approach to risk-taking The modern origins of hiking as a secular activity "Wilderness" vs. "garden" - Catholic atti…

1
OTL #971: Civic engagement through the 100K Project, CPS selling vacant land, Labeling Illinois schools 39:52

10d ago39:52

39:52

Mike Stephen learns about recruiting candidates for local office through the 100K Project with lead organizer and steering committee member Tom Tresser and then gets an update on some local education issues with Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea.By Mike Stephen

1
Minisode: How Novel Strategies Become the Venture Industry’s Standard 13:56

14d ago13:56

13:56

Origins hosts Nick Chirls, GP at Asylum Ventures and Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners and co-founder of OpenLP, unpack their conversation with Theory Ventures’ Tomasz Tunguz, discussing how strategies that once set firms apart – like pre-seed or founder-centric investing – become industry standards over time. They dive deep on counter-posit…

1
OTL #970: Books removed in local prison, New music from Ascendant, The Secret History of Chicago Music celebrates 20 years 39:33

17d ago39:33

39:33

Mike Stephen explores the removal of certain books in Danville Correctional Center with local author Vee Harrison, gets the lowdown on new music from the band Ascendant from vocalist and keyboard player Kael Mboya, and looks back on 20 years of The Secret History of Chicago Music in the Chicago Reader with its creator and author Steve Krakow.…

1
OTL #969: The Chicago Lakefront: Protected, Yet Precarious, Second Glance Productions, Rob Moore’s new music 39:38

24d ago39:38

39:38

Mike Stephen discusses the future of Chicago's lakefront with Emily Reusswig, VP of Conservation at Openlands, talks about the importance of inclusion in media with Anthony Williams, the founder of Second Glance Productions, and gets the lowdown on new music from Chicago-based bluesman Rob Moore.By Mike Stephen

1
#40 Learning for the long term with David Betcher 20:26

28d ago20:26

20:26

In this podcast episode, I(Magnus Zetterlund) am chatting with my student, David Betcher, from Michigan, USA. A few of the subjects we touched upon are: Taking one step back to take two steps ahead. Learning to play the mandolin as an adult differs from learning to play as a kid. Visit our website for more episodes: https://mandolinsecrets.com/podc…

1
AI Agents Will Supercharge the Future of VC with Tomasz Tunguz 40:25

29d ago40:25

40:25

Tomasz Tunguz, Founder of Theory Ventures, is widely recognized for his analytical approach to venture investing. Now, he’s building Theory with a philosophy rooted in research and data-driven decision-making. Tomasz sits down with Nick Chirls, General Partner at Asylum Ventures and Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners and co-founder of OpenLP,…

1
OTL #968: Why everyone hates white liberals, The Secret History of Hot Mama Silver 57:02

1M ago57:02

57:02

Mike Stephen sits down with Kevin M. Schultz, chair of the history department at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of a new book called Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals), and then discovers the Secret History of 1970s and 80s rockers Hot Mama Silver.By Mike Stephen

1
OTL #967: The origins of gun violence in Chicago, Andy Madden’s new music 43:56

1M ago43:56

43:56

Mike Stephen discusses the origins of gun violence in Chicago with Jens Ludwig, author of the new book called Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence, and then sits down with local musician Andy Madden about his new music and upcoming record release performance.By Mike Stephen

1
195 - The Most Influential Theology Book Nobody Reads - Philipp Rosemann 1:46:56

1M ago1:46:56

1:46:56

The standard textbook of theology in medieval universities was the Sentences by Peter Lombard (1095-1160), bishop of Paris. This collection systematically arranged the theological judgments of Scripture and the Church Fathers on various topics. For almost four centuries, those seeking higher credentials in theology had to study, teach, and comment …

1
Minisode: Franchise Funds: Index Ventures & Picking Winners Early 10:52

1M ago10:52

10:52

Origins host Beezer Clarkson sits down with her colleague Nate Leung, fellow LP and Partner at Sapphire Partners, to riff on her recent conversation with Nina Achadjian, Partner at Index Ventures. Together, Beezer and Nate walk through the steps Index took to become a franchise - the decisions they made and the mistakes they avoided, plus the firm’…

1
OTL #966: Bonuses for City Council aides on the rise, Greenlight Family Services offering support, The Secret History of The Notations 39:33

2M ago39:33

39:33

Mike Stephen talks to Illinois Answers Project investigative reporter Alex Nitkin about how Chicago City Council staffers are getting more and more bonuses, learns about the impact of Chicago’s Greenlight Family Services with CEO Dr. Maria Nanos, and discovers the Secret History of the Chicago-based soul band The Notations.…

1
OTL #965: Funding cuts for Illinois Humanities, The future of journalism 39:40

2M ago39:40

39:40

Mike Stephen discusses the potential impact of federal funding cuts for Illinois Humanities with executive director Gabrielle Lyon and Macomb-based singer-songwriter Chris Vallillo and then chats about the future of journalism with Prospect High School multimedia teacher Jason Block and seniors Claire Wynkoop and Kenny Munao while attending this ye…

1
194 - The Church’s Hour of Testing – Fr. Donald Haggerty 56:58

2M ago56:58

56:58

A great spiritual master of our time, Fr. Donald Haggerty, joins the podcast to discuss his important new book, The Hour of Testing: Spiritual Depth and Insight in a Time of Ecclesial Uncertainty. He offers profound reflections on the ongoing, and perhaps future, crisis within the Church, with an eye to arousing an appetite for the greater spiritua…

1
Inside the ServiceTitan IPO with Nina Achadjian 43:05

2M ago43:05

43:05

Nina Achadjian is a Partner at Index Ventures, where she invests across seed, venture, and growth stages in AI, enterprise software, and vertical SaaS. She sits down with Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners, and the two discuss Nina’s predictions for M&A in 2025, the importance of product market fit and what Nina looks for in a new hire. Plus,…

1
#39 How to use the entire fretboard 36:53

2M ago36:53

36:53

In this month’s episode, Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin are discussing: What is your biggest struggle when it comes to fretboard knowledge? How do you visualize scales on the mandolin and guitar? Boxes, finger patterns, etc. Is there a book you’ve read that was valuable for your music playing? Magnus’s new video lesson shows a hero lick from S…

1
OTL #964: Chicago’s immigration court, I Am Flytism, The Secret History of Jim Brewer 42:40

2M ago42:40

42:40

Mike Stephen talks to Injustice Watch reporter Kelly Garcia about how Chicago’s immigration court works, learns about I Am Flytism, an organization on the South Side of Chicago that helps those impacted by autism, from founder Stephanie Butts, and discovers the Secret History of 20th century local bluesman Jim Brewer.…

1
OTL #963: Living as a profitable author, The Surabhi Ensemble unites through art, The West Side Book Fair 40:23

2M ago40:23

40:23

Mike Stephen talks to Conspire Creative founder Sharon Woodhouse about her new book The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books, previews the Surabhi Ensemble’s live performance with guitarist Carlo Basile, and gets the lowdown on the upcoming West Side Book Fair from Bridgett McGill.…

1
193 - On René Girard -Trevor Cribben Merrill 1:24:19

2M ago1:24:19

1:24:19

Mimetic desire, scapegoating: if you've been hearing these terms thrown around lately, it's because the French Catholic philosopher René Girard (1923-2015) is having a renaissance, with powerful people like J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel citing his influence on their thought. Trevor Cribben Merrill, producer of the new documentary Things Hidden: The Li…

1
Minisode: Franchise Funds: Is Venture Broken? 12:12

2M ago12:12

12:12

Origins host Beezer Clarkson sits down with her colleague Laura Thompson, fellow LP and Partner at Sapphire Partners, to riff on her recent conversation with Thomas Kristensen, Partner at LGT Capital Partners. Together they discuss 2025’s sluggish exit market, and whether or not that’s a sign that venture is broken. They also discuss the importance…

1
OTL #962: The immigrant experience in Chicagoland, New music from Steve Knight, The Secret History of Bobby McClure 42:41

2M ago42:41

42:41

Mike Stephen talks to Sandra Diaz, co-founder of the Center for Immigrant Progress, about the efforts to help Chicagoland immigrants in the wake of a hostile federal government, learns about the new album from local jazz guitarist Steve Knight, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago soul singer Bobby McClure.…

1
OTL #961: The importance of the Freedom of Information Act, Proposed legislation to regulate homeschooling in Illinois 41:07

3M ago41:07

41:07

Mike Stephen talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning local journalists Sarah Conway of City Bureau and Trina Reynolds-Tyler of the Invisible Institute about the importance of the Freedom of Information Act and then gets an update on a proposed bill to regulate homeschooling in Illinois from Capitol News reporters Beth Hundsdorfer and Molly Parker.…

1
Franchise Funds: Is Being a VC Franchise the Ultimate Goal with Thomas Kristensen 42:50

3M ago42:50

42:50

Thomas Kristensen, Partner at LGT Capital Partners, has decades of experience backing the top players in venture, but as an LP, doesn’t love the term "franchise fund.” He sits down with Bezer Clarkson, Partner at Sapphire Partners, to discuss why GPs can’t rest on their laurels, that being a franchise shouldn’t be every VC’s ultimate goal, and how …

1
192 - Latin learning and classical Christian education w/ Ryan Hammill 1:34:26

3M ago1:34:26

1:34:26

Ryan Hammill of the Ancient Language Institute joins Thomas for a practical discussion about how to learn Latin, as well as the central place of the classical languages (Latin and Greek) in classical Christian education, and the various schools of thought in today’s classical Christian education movement. Links Thomas’s article about learning Latin…

1
OTL #960: The Illinois nuclear power controversy, The Flamenco Quartet Project returns, The Secret History of Donald Rafael Garrett 41:32

3M ago41:32

41:32

Mike Stephen discusses the controversial push to increase nuclear power production in Illinois with David Kraft, director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service, previews the return of the Flamenco Quartet Project with Wendy Clinard, founder of Clinard Dance, and discovers the Secret History of local avant-garde bassist Donald Rafael Garrett.…

1
#38 Where do you find inspiration? 30:42

3M ago30:42

30:42

In this month’s episode, Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin are discussing: Where do you find the songs/tunes that inspire you? Do you have music goals for 2025? Magnus’s new YouTube video where he shows his pedal board with mandolin effects. Hayes’s new metal guitar arrangement of Big Sciota. Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show. Visit our…

1
OTL #959: Bridging the wealth gap in Chicago, Supporting local nonprofits 42:12

3M ago42:12

42:12

Mike Stephen learns about efforts to bridge the wealth gap and to provide worker dignity at the local level from Julian Posada, President & CEO of LiftUp Chicago, and then discusses supporting the important work of local nonprofits with Jessica Nepomiachi, Director of Special Projects for the Real Estate Solutions Team at IFF.…

1
OTL #958: Continuing the fight against homelessness, The Secret History of Ruffian, Chicago Women of Color Fest 43:28

3M ago43:28

43:28

Mike Stephen discusses ongoing efforts to fight homelessness in Chicago despite the chaos in the federal government with Carolyn Ross, president and CEO of All Chicago: Making Homelessness History, learns the Secret History of 1980s rockers called Ruffian, and then chats about a new local festival highlighting marginalized voices with festival foun…

1
191 - How the Church Invented Musical Notation - Christopher Page 45:34

3M ago45:34

45:34

The Christian West and Its Singers: The First Thousand Years, by the great English musicologist Christopher Page, covers the development of Christian liturgical music from its origins as an elaboration of the role of the lector to its flourishing in the monastic and cathedral singing schools of France, as Roman chant was spread across Europe. One o…

1
Revisiting Power Law VC Performance with David Clark 56:22

3M ago56:22

56:22

Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners, revisits her conversation from 2023 with David Clark, Investment Director at VenCap International plc. In this episode, she and co-host Nick Chirls, Partner at Asylum Ventures, dive into David’s nearly four decades of experience in investing in some of the most established VC funds across the US, Europe, Ch…

1
OTL #957: The history and impact of Fitzgerald’s, New music from Falling Stars 42:57

4M ago42:57

42:57

Mike Stephen sits down with Jess King and Will Duncan, the owners of Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, to learn about the venue's history and impact on Chicago and then gets the lowdown on new music from the local band Falling Stars with guitarist and vocalist Mark Sheehy.By Mike Stephen

1
190 - Fulton Sheen, Convert Maker - Cheryl C.D. Hughes 57:34

4M ago57:34

57:34

A new biography of Ven. Fulton Sheen gives special attention to his high-profile converts, but reveals many other interesting facets of his life as well. Author Cheryl Hughes joins to discuss Sheen’s at times shockingly direct evangelization methods, his outstanding television presence, his lifelong struggle with vanity and ambition, and the mistre…

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