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The Tonearm

Lawrence Peryer
Jazz
Improvisation
Classical Music
Music Composition
David Bowie
Electronic Music
Jazz Music
Laugh Ash
Eric Dolphy
Avant-Garde Jazz
Music Education
Collaboration
Ches Smith
Shara Lunon
Rain Parade
Rebel Rebel
New York
Experimental Music
Ambient Music
Music Collaboration

The people and ideas moving culture forward. With host Lawrence Peryer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes312Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MusicArtsMusic CommentaryBooks

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Artwork for The Tonearm

Latest Episodes

Today, we’re putting The Tonearm’s needle on singer and songwriter Ora Cogan.

Ora Cogan’s music pulls from folk, country, psychedelia, and gothic rock. She holds all of it without flinching, as heard on the fantastic album Hard Hearted Woman, her la... more

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Billy Polo, in-house audio and mastering engineer, at iconic Jamaican music label VP Records. Billy has spent years restoring and remastering some of the most important recordings in reggae and dancehall h... more

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Stephen Emmer, a Dutch composer and musician based in Amsterdam. Stephen came up in the late 70s post-punk underground, and his band Minny Pops was the first international act signed to Factory Records. He... more

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on George Grella, one of the sharpest music critics working today.

George is the music editor of The Brooklyn Rail and has written for The Wire, the New York Times, and, luckily for us, The Tonearm.

George ... more

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Recent Guests

George Grella
Music critic and author of Minimalist Music
The Brooklyn Rail (music editor)
Episode: George Grella: The Time-Bending Art of Minimalist Music
Meredith Bates
JUNO Award-winning violinist and composer
Based on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
Episode: Meredith Bates: The Quiet Science of Sound Worlds
Nick Fraser
Toronto drummer, composer, and improviser
Indie label Elastic Recordings; Toronto improvised music scene
Episode: Nick Fraser: Still Screaming Into the Snare Drum
Maria Schneider
Composer and bandleader, creator of American Crow
Episode: Maria Schneider: Composing in the Age of Curated Rage
Caroline Davis
Saxophonist and composer based in New York
Independent musician / Ropeadope Records artist
Episode: Caroline Davis: The Saxophone Reimagined in the Fallows
Miho Hazama
Composer and chief conductor of the Danish Radio Big Band
Danish Radio Big Band
Episode: Miho Hazama: The Conductor Who Leads with Love
Tomeka Reid
Cellist and composer featured on Dance Skip Hop and other projects
Musician
Episode: Tomeka Reid: The Low Seat, the Long Haul, and 'dance! skip! hop!'
Ben Wendel
Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer, and co-founder of Kneebody
BaRcoDe / Kneebody
Episode: Ben Wendel: Assembling the Mallet Avengers
Julianna Barwick
Composer, vocalist and producer; uses layered, looped voice as primary material
Independent musician
Episode: Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Like Tears in Rain

Host

Lawrence Peryer
Host of The Tonearm; conducts in-depth interviews with musicians, composers, and sound artists. Known for thorough preparation and a thoughtful, curious approach.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • Great interviews

    The most informed, engaging interviews! Thank you

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bcsquest
    United States4 months ago
  • Curiosity

    Whether I’m considering science, poetry, carpentry, or music, nothing opens the door to enlightenment wider than the (spoken or unspoken) phrase “I’m curious…” If there’s a secret sauce to Spotlight On, I believe that it’s Lawrence Puryear’s curiosity. And he always approaches his guests with the respect of having done his homework. He’s researched careers and discographies, so we know that his questions come from a place of intellectual truth. “I understand some of what you’re doing, but I want... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Harry Landers
    United Statesa year ago
  • Brilliant

    As one of Lawrence’s interview subjects, I can tell you I was really impressed with his preparation and insightful questions as well as his professional and comfortable vibe. I really enjoyed chatting with him and I hope that comes across to listeners. Happy to be not just a subject but a subscriber!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    joebrent
    United Statesa year ago
  • One of the More Entertaining Music Chat Podcasts Out There

    I think Lawrence is one of the best under-the-radar podcast interviewers in podcast-land. These shows feel like fly-on-the-wall conversations, with Lawrence often prompting his guests into pleasantly unexpected topics and revealing glimpses into the creative process. Even if the guest is someone I know nothing about, I always come away entertained and learning something new about what makes music tick. A gem!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    General Zubon
    United States3 years ago
  • Keep getting better!

    Great series of podcasts and interviews from people across the entirety of the live music space. Such a treat to hear LP speak with his guests about life, music, art and everything in between. 10/10 would recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    relly124
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Shows feel like fly-on-the-wall conversations that illuminate the creative process.
Guests are often leaders across live music, composition, and sound art and the conversations are insightful and entertaining.
Thoughtful, well-prepared interviews with deep dives into guests and discographies.
The series is a valuable behind-the-scenes look at the music industry and creative practice.
Listeners praise the host's curiosity and respectful interviewing style.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#16
Finland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#41
Finland/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

George Grella: The Time-Bending Art of Minimalist Music
Q: Tell me a little bit about, if I can say it this way, sort of the thesis of the book or at least the beginning portion of the book where you talk about, I guess it's an attempt to sort of frame or define minimalism.
Grella explains that the core idea is not about sparse materials but about how music uses time, and that understanding this distinction reframes the entire listening experience and the way we categorize works by Reich, Glass, Riley, and others. He emphasizes that minimalism is a process of time rather than a fixed material palette, and that this perspective helps distinguish between minimalist music and post-minimalism.
Meredith Bates: The Quiet Science of Sound Worlds
Q: What role does place and environment play in your sound design?
Bates emphasizes the importance of space, including Afterlife Studios, Salt Spring Island, wind, birds, and a sense of air influencing the music. She discusses how room characteristics shape tone, and how moving from Vancouver to Salt Spring Island shifted her musical energy and environmental inspirations.
Meredith Bates: The Quiet Science of Sound Worlds
Q: How does the concept of incantations shape the music, if at all?
She explains incantations function as framing devices rather than strict prompts; most pieces were created without prompts, with only one track named from a spell. The incantations guide mood and ritualistic aspects rather than dictating specific musical content.
Meredith Bates: The Quiet Science of Sound Worlds
Q: Tell me about the idea behind the station setup and how you worked around recording limits.
Meredith describes creating defined 'stations' in the room for violin, viola, pedals, and other gear to enable immersive, surround-like recording. She explains they started with a mono signal and later considered ambisonic and pre-spatialized techniques, emphasizing live exploration over heavy editing.
Caroline Davis: The Saxophone Reimagined in the Fallows
Q: What drew you to the Organelle and how does it shape your workflow?
She describes the Organelle as a flexible, patch-driven hardware/software platform that lets her generate drums and textures, while staying connected to a sharing community, which contrasts with more insular approaches and expands her sonic palette.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Tonearm

What is The Tonearm about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, conversation-driven series that features deep dives into music—ranging from minimalist and contemporary classical to experimental jazz and sound art. Episodes frequently center on the creative process, collaboration within ensembles, leadership, and the social contexts surrounding music making, including residency programs, funding landscapes, and activism in the arts. Notable traits include rigorous pre-interview preparation, a calm, curious interviewing style, and guests who are both practitioners and thinkers shaping modern music culture. This mix makes it appealing to listeners who want technical insight, artistic philosophy, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on how innovative music happens in real-world settings.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Tonearm?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Tonearm. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Tonearm and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Tonearm get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Tonearm?

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How many subscribers and views does The Tonearm have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Tonearm has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Tonearm?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Tonearm:

1. You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians
2. The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. Stay Tuned with Preet
5. The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

How many episodes of The Tonearm are there?

The Tonearm launched 6 years ago and published 312 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Tonearm?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Tonearm?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Tonearm from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Tonearm?

Recent guests on The Tonearm include:

1. George Grella
2. Meredith Bates
3. Nick Fraser
4. Maria Schneider
5. Caroline Davis
6. Miho Hazama
7. Tomeka Reid
8. Ben Wendel

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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