Best Sam Lea Podcasts (2025)

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Yolanda Bruno Celebrates Jeanne Lamon: The Story Behind Dear Jeanne 1:11:15

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2h ago1:11:15

1:11:15

Canadian violinist Yolanda Bruno spoke to me about her new album Dear Jeanne and her film The Immortal Serafin, which both honour the late Jeanne Lamon, the renowned baroque violinist, and Music Director of Tafelmusik for 34 years. Yolanda explains how she explores the story of Jeanne’s 1759 Santo Serafin baroque violin, which was generously loaned…

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How We Cancel the Noise: Mack Hagood on Sound, Tech, and Attention 1:15:11

1h ago1:15:11

1:15:11

I really enjoyed this opportunity to speak with Mack Hagood, author of Hush: Media and Sonic Self-Control, to explore how we use sound to manage our minds, moods, and modern lives. From white noise apps and noise-cancelling headphones to tinnitus and sound therapy, Mack helped me understand the complex relationship between media, technology, and th…

1
Michael Stephen Brown: Composer and Pianist with Album Preview Twelve Blocks 1:06:53

18d ago1:06:53

1:06:53

Michael Stephen Brown is both a fantastic pianist and composer, and in this episode you’ll be hearing some excerpts from his upcoming album Twelve Blocks, which is a very personal project for him of chamber music and solo piano pieces. You’ll hear the stories and personal connections with each of these works that he’s composed. He shared his experi…

1
Jennifer Johnson: How Body Mapping Transforms the Way We Play and Live 1:15:11

12d ago1:15:11

1:15:11

This week’s episode is a personal one for me, since Jennifer Johnson has been helping me gain more ease and comfort in violin playing and living in general. An understanding of Body Mapping will help you whether you play an instrument, sing, or simply go about your daily life. Jennifer Johnson is a violinist, film maker, and the author of several b…

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Kara Wooten - Stunt Woman, Actress, Producer, Intimacy Coordinator and PhD Holder 38:17

5d ago38:17

38:17

In this episode, I am chatting with Doctor Kara Wooten who's a stunt woman, an actress, a producer, an intimacy coordinator and college professor. Her career in TV, Film and Theatre spans across 3 decades and it was so interesting to learn about her professional path. Her take on intimacy being a form of violence and the links she builds between st…

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Agalisiga Mackey: Cherokee Language, Alive in Song 1:06:24

12d ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Cherokee singer-songwriter Agalisiga “The Chuj” Mackey shares the story behind his debut country-folk album, created entirely in the Cherokee language with producer Jared Tyler. He discusses language revitalization, the Cherokee syllabary, immersion schools, and the impact of boarding schools. Agalisiga also reflects on Indigenous history, cultural…

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Tiny Desk to Broadway: The Creative World of Gaelynn Lea, Disability Rights Activist Tiny Desk to Broadway: The Creative World of Gaelynn Lea, Musician and Disability Rights Activist 1:14:26

19d ago1:14:26

1:14:26

Gaelynn Lea is a violinist, singer-songwriter, disability rights advocate, author, and public speaker. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, Gaelynn began her musical journey with the support of a childhood music teacher and her musical family. You’ll hear about how her big break happened when she won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, which led t…

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Sam Sadigursky: Clarinetist for Philip Glass Ensemble, The Band’s Visit, The Solomon Diaries 1:21:34

1M ago1:21:34

1:21:34

Sam Sadigursky is a renowned clarinetist, composer, and member of the Philip Glass Ensemble. In this episode, we explore his latest project The Solomon Diaries with Nathan Koci, his work on Broadway in The Band’s Visit, and his career spanning jazz, classical, and contemporary music. Sam shares stories from touring with Philip Glass, mentors Brad M…

1
Pat McCusker: Scoring The Ezra Klein Show, Touring with David Duchovny, and Composing for Podcasts 1:17:19

1M ago1:17:19

1:17:19

Composer and audio producer Pat McCusker joins me to talk about his work creating music for The Ezra Klein Show, his role at The New York Times, and what it’s like touring the world as a musician with actor David Duchovny. Pat's music also appears on The Daily, Modern Love, and many more. 🎶 What we talk about in this episode: Composing the theme fo…

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Paul Harrod - Designer, Art Director and Director - Stop-Motion Animation 36:20

2M ago36:20

36:20

This month, I'm chatting to Paul HARROD - he has kindly shared his short bio so, please see below for Paul's impressive CV: Paul has worked three decades as a designer, art director and director of both animated and live action projects, with a special emphasis on stop-motion animation. In his capacity as a designer, model maker and sculptor, he le…

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Clay Zeller-Townson of Ruckus Early Music 1:18:27

2M ago1:18:27

1:18:27

I have become a big fan of Ruckus, a dynamic Early Music ensemble, and I so enjoyed this uplifting conversation with Clay Zeller-Townson, their Artistic Director and bassoonist. ou’ll be hearing clips from The Edinburgh Rollick with music from the Niel Gow collection, featuring the violinist Keir GoGwilt, and because this music is very much at the …

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Leif Karlstrom's Volcano Listening Project: A Unique Fusion of Science and Music 1:02:37

2M ago1:02:37

1:02:37

Join me in getting to know the fascinating world of Leif Karlstrom, a musician and scientist who combines data sonification in his outstanding collaborative exploration, The Volcano Listening Project. Leif is an Earth scientist at the University of Oregon who studies fluid motions in and on volcanoes and glaciers, landscape evolution, and geodynami…

1
Martha Redbone: Blending Afro-Indigenous Identity and Appalachian Traditions Through Bold Creative Projects 1:15:47

2M ago1:15:47

1:15:47

Martha Redbone is acclaimed for her powerful performances as a singer, as well as her prize-winning song-writing, composition and arranging. For over 30 years she’s been in a successful collaboration with her partner Aaron Whitby and we talked about some of their new theatrical projects including Black Mountain Women, The Sex Variants of 1941, and …

1
Tammy Takaishi on Music Therapy, Creative Careers & Hosting Creative Peacemeal Podcast 1:09:23

2M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

Tammy Takaishi is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Podcaster and writer based in New York. We talked about her podcast Creative Peacemeal, her meaningful and multi-faceted career as a Music Therapist, and her full creative life including her writing. If music therapy is a career you’re curious about, you’ll be inspired by her stories and insights…

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Welcome to Season #2 of So, You Work In Film? 5:37

3M ago5:37

5:37

Welcome back for season 2 of So, You Work In Film? This first episode is just a moment to reflect on the past year: what we achieved together, the hurdles we faced and the passion for film that drives everything forward! Thank you to all my guests, past and future, and thank you to all of you that listen to this humble little podcast - it's a pleas…

1
Carla Patullo: GRAMMY-Winning Composer on her album Nomadica, Grief, LGBTQ+ Mentorship & Healing 1:08:40

3M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Welcome to Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman with powerful, in-depth conversations with a fascinating diversity of musical guests wordwide. In this moving episode, I sit down with GRAMMY-winning composer Carla Patullo. Carla shares her deeply personal journey as well as audio clips from Nomadica, her gorgeous new album born from grief,…

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Acoustic Legend Darol Anger: ‘Diary of a Fiddler 2’ Preview + Reflections on a Life in Music 1:25:21

3M ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Darol Anger is an acoustic music legend known as much for his innovative fiddle style beyond Bluegrass and Jazz traditions, and his teaching. Darol has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, and his c…

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Electric Strings, Classical Roots: Tracy Silverman on Turtle Island, Strum Bowing, and Creative Freedom (re-release) 2:07:20

3M ago2:07:20

2:07:20

Originally released in 2022: Tracy Silverman is truly an inspiring musician in every respect and it was such an honour to meet him and be able to record this memorable episode! This interview is also available as a video; the transcript is also linked on my website We talked about his classical roots, studying with legendary teachers Lewis Kaplan a…

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Derek Gripper: Guitar, Kora, and the Art of Listening (re-release) 1:22:16

3M ago1:22:16

1:22:16

This was originally released in 2022. The internationally renowned South African guitarist Derek Gripper is famous for his groundbreaking technique for evoking the West African kora on the guitar. During this episode you’ll get to hear Derek play quite a bit and you will hear his wonderful insights on how we listen to and learn music, the influence…

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Collected Strands Improvising Ensemble and Weaver Maryanne Moodie (re-release) 1:08:57

4M ago1:08:57

1:08:57

I'm re-releasing this episode, because my improvising ensemble Collected Strands have just released our second album, Volume 2, also with beautiful cover art by Maryanne Moodie. This is a special episode of my podcast, celebrating Volume 1 with my improvising ensemble Collected Strands. The other musicians in the group have all been featured previo…

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Maya Youssef: Teaching Arabic Music, Overcoming Challenges, and her Creative Life Through the Qanun 1:16:01

4M ago1:16:01

1:16:01

I’m delighted to welcome Maya Youssef, the world-renowned "Queen of the qanun" and innovative British-Syrian educator .You can also watch on YouTube, and the transcript is linked as well to my website: Maya shares with us how her frustrations with the traditional teaching of Arabic music led her to develop her unique system for teaching musicians a…

1
Lily Henley: Sephardic Identity, Ladino Language and Songwriting 59:47

4M ago59:47

59:47

The wonderful singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and scholar Lily Henley sings in the endangered language Ladino and during this podcast you’ll hear clips from her album Oras Dezaoradas. Blending her roots in American and Celtic music, Lily creates powerful original music that honours centuries of Sephardic women’s voices. These songs tell t…

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Exploring Global Soundscapes with Karen Power: Arctic Ice, Namibian Bats & Inclusive Music-Making 1:12:31

4M ago1:12:31

1:12:31

Karen Power is an Irish composer who uses environmental sounds in her intriguing work. She is a master field recordist who has recorded sounds in some of the worlds most isolated and challenging locations including The Arctic, Amazon, and Namib Desert. You'll hear clips of her work including The Bats of Namibia, Frogs of Angor Wat, fascinating bog …

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Listen Now - Full Episode: Christian Long’s new “Oh Honey!” Podcast 44:40

5M ago44:40

44:40

Christian Long and his 80 year old mom, Wendy Long introduce the very first (inaugural?) episode of "Oh Honey!" They discuss what listeners have to look forward to, why Wendy was tempted to return her coffee from The Doughnut Inn, and why she's unlikely to ever try 'shrooms. To continue listening to new Oh Honey! episodes every Tuesday subscribe on…

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Teagan Faran: Exploring Contemporary Violin, Electroacoustic Sound, Tango Traditions & Teaching Philosophy 1:02:44

5M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Teagan Faran is a remarkable violinist known for her versatility as a performer, composer, and improviser. In this episode, you’ll hear selections from her album Middle Child—a compelling and genre-spanning musical journey featuring works by acclaimed contemporary composers, as well as Tegan’s own reimagining of Brahms’ beloved Intermezzo. A Fulbri…

1
S02E17 Fired Up by a Bully, Hired by Sotheby’s: Trusting Your Gut and Leading with Authenticity with Maria Kelly 47:26

5M ago47:26

47:26

I'd love to hear from you. What about this episode did you / not enjoy? What would you like more of? This podcast is made for you! What happens when you walk out on a toxic boss... and walk straight into the career that changes your life? We wrap up Season 2 in this final episode with leadership coach, business strategy consultant and former Sotheb…

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Olcay Bayir on Alevi Roots, Anatolian Folk & Her Album Tu Gul î 50:09

5M ago50:09

50:09

I’m joined by the extraordinary Olcay Bayir, a British singer-songwriter of Kurdish Alevi origin, originally from Turkey. Olcay opens up about the challenges of immigrating as a teenager, her classical training in opera, and how she has forged her own unique musical path. You’ll hear clips from her 2024 album Tu Gulî, along with selections from her…

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Joel Styzens: Relax Your Ears: Joel Styzens on Hearing Damage & Musical Recovery 1:00:23

5M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

Joel Styzens is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose career as a drummer was transformed due to sudden hearing damage. He talked to me about dealing with the physical and psychological effets of hyper acusis and tinnitus, the beauty of hammered dulcimer, and you’ll hear clips from his first 2 albums Relax Your Ears and Resonance. He’s a music…

1
Healing Through Music: Amanda Martinez on Grief, Mental Health & Her Album Recuerdo 1:14:17

5M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

Amanda Martinez writes and records mostly in Spanish, the language of her Mexican dad who biked all the way from Mexico to Canada, and you’ll learn how Amanda’s recent album Recuerdo helped her process her grief going through the illness and death of her father. Amanda is also an actor, and you’ll hear about some of her experiences acting, includin…

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Heather Taves: her Beethoven Journey, Fascinating Research, Developing Creativity 1:19:17

6M ago1:19:17

1:19:17

Heather Taves is an acclaimed Canadian pianist, also a composer, improviser, educator and writer. She spoke to me about her unique and inspiring Beethoven Journey, her popular weekly blog which she started in 2023 , paired with performances of all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. We talked about getting to know Beethoven as a person and her fascina…

1
Renée Yoxon: Trans Voice Teacher, Jazz and Disability Rights (re-release) 1:24:32

6M ago1:24:32

1:24:32

Archive highlight, originally released in 2023: Renée Yoxon is a trans non-binary singer, songwriter, jazz musician, and trans voice teacher. Renee shares some beautiful and inspiring performances from their albums, as well as stories from life as a disabled person and how their disability and chronic pain has guided the direction of their career. …

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S02E16 From Corporate Life to a Journey into Wellness with Zsa Zsa Othman & Elemental Yoga 34:53

6M ago34:53

34:53

I'd love to hear from you. What about this episode did you / not enjoy? What would you like more of? This podcast is made for you! What does it really mean to find balance in a world that glorifies hustle? What happens when you stop chasing perfection and start flowing with life instead? Are you curious about how a yoga practice can transform your …

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Ceara Conway: Irish vocalist and Visual Artist (re-release) 1:22:01

6M ago1:22:01

1:22:01

This was originally aired in 2023. Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary vocalist and visual artist, and this episode features music from her album CAOIN as well as excerpts from some of her other projects. I find Ceara’s curiosity about so many important topics around arts and culture really inspiring and this conversation circled around to her ex…

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Destiny Muhammad: Jazz Harpist Her Inspiring Personal Journey (re-release) 1:33:28

6M ago1:33:28

1:33:28

This week's episode is a highlight from the archive, originally aired in 2023: I was so honoured to have this opportunity to talk with the inspiring Destiny Muhammad, who is a California-based jazz harpist and composer. You’ll get to hear inspiring stories from her life as well as her music. She had a dream to play the harp but didn’t have the oppo…

1
Bente Illevold: Euphonium Virtuoso 1:36:06

6M ago1:36:06

1:36:06

I’m excited to feature Bente Illevold, the internationally renowned Norwegian euphonium player who has carved out a unique career path as a euphonium virtuoso. During this podcast, you’ll be hearing clips from some of her albums and live performances, and in the complete show notes on my website you’ll find the links to these specific albums and vi…

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Novelist Martha Anne Toll on Music, , Grief & Social Justice | ‘Duet for One’ + ‘Three Muses 1:02:53

6M ago1:02:53

1:02:53

Martha Anne Toll is a novelist and literary and cultural critic, also a violist whose classical music training informs her artistic practice. She recently published her second novel, Duet for One, a beautiful love story based on the lives of musicians.his book is also about the death of a mother, and releasing this conversation on Mother's Day (in …

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S02E15 Be The Obvious Choice: Purposeful Brand Strategy & Conscious Leadership with Aarti Parmar 1:04:00

7M ago1:04:00

1:04:00

I'd love to hear from you. What about this episode did you / not enjoy? What would you like more of? This podcast is made for you! What truly makes a brand powerful? What does your personal brand say about you? Are you living in alignment with who you really are? How can you align your personal mission with your business? Join me on this soul-stirr…

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Alisa Rose on Creativity, Body Awareness & Her Duo Album "Speranza" with Tristan Scroggins 54:04

6M ago54:04

54:04

Alisa Rose is a multi-style violinist and fiddler, composer and educator, and in this episode we’re shining a light on her wonderful new album with mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, Speranza. You’ll hear about how she found her way to such an interesting and diverse career from learning Old-Time music from retired farmers in Wisconsin as a child to cl…

1
Sarah Little - Producers' Assistant 36:16

7M ago36:16

36:16

For the 8th and last episode of season 1, I spoke to Sarah Little who is a producers' assistant in London. Sarah had a very successful career in social media until 2 or so years ago. That is when she gave it all up (in a very organised and clever way!) to chase her dream to work in the film industry. Now, she is a producers' assistant and her days …

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Film Composer Christoph Zirngibl (120+ Films, Apple TV's Where’s Wanda) 1:08:12

7M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

Christoph Zirngibl is an award-winning German film composer who has composed music for over 120 films as well as many TV series including the Apple TV+ series Where’s Wanda. It often strikes me that even with something as specific as some of Christoph’s advice about work flow for fellow film composers, that it can apply more broadly to all of us, w…

1
Lawrence English 1:37:47

7M ago1:37:47

1:37:47

Lawrence English is a brilliant artist, composer and curator based in Australia. In this wide-ranging interview, Lawrence spoke to me about many topics, touching architecture, philosophy, field recordings, running a record label, and emerging biotech. One of his many projects is the record label Room40, which is celebrating 25 years, and punctuatin…

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Noam Lemish on Mentors, Bhutan & His Juno-Nominated Album “Twelve” 1:17:58

8M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

How did Noam Lemish’s experience living in Bhutan influence his outlook? A lot of Noam’s creative life is inspired by bridging cultures and being open to possibility, and you’ll be hearing some music from some of his many projects as well as hear his reflections on teaching and learning. It was fascinating to learn about his mentors including Georg…

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S02E14 Lea Turner on Authenticity & Building a Thriving Business Community with No Budget 1:11:37

8M ago1:11:37

1:11:37

I'd love to hear from you. What about this episode did you / not enjoy? What would you like more of? This podcast is made for you! Ever felt like you're navigating your business journey alone in a vast desert, thirsting for inspiration? Well, hitch a cheerful ride with our latest podcast episode featuring the unstoppable Lea Turner, from Manchester…

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Juliana Soltis: Cello, Women Composers & Forgotten Music Stories 1:22:17

8M ago1:22:17

1:22:17

Juliana Soltis is an innovative cellist who has done extensive research to connect listeners with some forgotten stories of classical music. In this episode we talked about her recent album American Woman which features cello and piano music of women composers; you’ll hear Juliana’s insights into the lives of Mary Howe, Amy Beach, Margaret Bonds, H…

1
Steve Wilsher - Stunt Professional 40:54

8M ago40:54

40:54

In this episode, I chat to Steve Wilsher who is a stunt professional. He started his career in Wales in 1974 and is now living and working in Canada. Steve has so much experience and so much anecdotes, it was really hard to edit our chat down to 40 minutes! We talked about his career, his many hats within the stunt world, Tom Cruise and his determi…

1
Pianist Katherine Dowling: Memorization, Emotion & New Music 1:15:25

8M ago1:15:25

1:15:25

Katherine Dowling is a brilliant Canadian pianist and in this conversation we talked about her album of solo music by Alice Ping Yee Ho, mentors including Gil Kalish and Henk Guittart, and how and why she’s developed her exceptional musical memory. Katherine shared fantastic insights into teaching and learning, the importance of inclusivity and acc…

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Kala Ramnath: Music Without Borders & the Legacy of Zakir Hussain 1:17:35

8M ago1:17:35

1:17:35

Kala Ramnath is a world-renowned Indian violinist who performs in both the Hindustani classical tradition, and in collaborations that incorporate many styles with Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, Hilary Hahn, Kronos Quartet with Reena Esmail and veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh, and leading orchestras such as my own National Art…

1
Tasha Warren: Grammy-Nominated Clarinetist on Collaboration, Balance & New Music 1:16:58

8M ago1:16:58

1:16:58

Tasha Warren is an acclaimed clarinetist who has premiered over one hundred solo clarinet and chamber works. In this podcast you’ll hear excerpts from her album “Ourself Behind Ourself, Concealed” a fantastic collaboration with cellist Dave Eggar of newly commissioned and premiered Bass Clarinet and Cello works, which earned two Grammy nominations.…

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S02E13 How Does Adversity Foster Unshakeable Family Bonds? With Sam & Oscar Rathling 1:10:15

9M ago1:10:15

1:10:15

I'd love to hear from you. What about this episode did you / not enjoy? What would you like more of? This podcast is made for you! How do you find inner peace while facing life's trials? Can deep thinking and visualization shape a young man's future? In this episode of the Fearlessly Curious Podcast, I interview a unique mother-son duo, Sam and Osc…

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Tal Yahalom: Jazz guitarist and composer 1:26:18

9M ago1:26:18

1:26:18

Tal Yahalom is an award-winning jazz guitarist and composer and you’ll be getting a preview of his compelling quintet album Mirror Image with refreshingly unique instrumentation: violin, cello, percussion, sax and flute and both nylon-string and electric guitar. You’ll be hearing excerpts from the album and hear about Tal’s creative process and col…