Themes and Variation – Details, episodes & analysis

"An energetic and scholastic throwback theme, a captivating piece of experimental sound art, and an alt rock ode to one of humanity's most celebrated minds.."

What does one of Martin's favorite '90s cartoons have in common with a creative genius in the world of sound art? What's the shared link between Frasier, Philip Glass, and the Counting Crows? Is John Mayer a shameless pre-chorus thief?

In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, we dig into all these questions and more. Join me (your humble podcast host, Mahea Lee), Jeremy Young, and Martin Fowler as we embark upon a journey to the center of the theme: "Songs About Science."

This episode is centered around track selections from the catalogs of Peter Lurye, Tristan Perich, and the Counting Crows, with a special shout out to the work of celebrated composer Philip Glass and acclaimed pianist Vicky Chow. As ever, the discussion touches on topics like theory, production, and music history — along with opinions and anecdotes from the panel here and there.

If you're looking for your next small step in the direction of musical knowledge and entertainment, join us for the episode "Songs About Science."

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Want more? Go ahead and explore the back catalog of our previous episodes, and subscribe to hear every one of our episodes right when they come out, on your preferred platform: 

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• iHeart Radio
• or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

We'll see you in a couple weeks with a new theme, new guests, and some new songs to break down. If you have any comments, questions, or theme suggestions, drops us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or find us on Twitter.

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"The quintessential cover of a song that yearns for transformation, the ultimate anthem of self-reflection, and a number full of nuance that gets me every. single. time..."

In the latest episode of Themes and Variation, I (your stalwart podcast shepherd, Mahea Lee) am joined by magnificent musician and occasional co-host Jeremy Young as well as singer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and all-around treasure of the Soundfly community, Lana Cenčić to discuss "Cathartic Songs."

This episode features selections from the catalogs of Baby Huey & the Babysitters, Michael Jackson, and Simon Dawes. What's the maximum amount of emotion that can be carried by a single human voice? If you ask nicely, will the man in the mirror ever change his ways? Is it possible for a music school graduate to love a song for nearly two decades without realizing it contains more than one time change?

Follow us on X (Twitter) @ThemesVariation for news about the show including upcoming episodes and more!

Learn more about Lana here.

And be sure to check out the new Soundfly Shop where you can find some sweet Themes and Variation merch — including a mug that's perfect for holding everything from coffee to... tea.

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One of the things I love most about music is its seemingly mystical ability to articulate things that cannot be expressed through words alone. There are times when the combination of poetry and melody forms a unique and powerful language audiences can immediately comprehend.

In other cases, an instrumental part may communicate an idea or emotion so perfectly, it encapsulates a profound piece of the human experience even without the presence of lyrics.

For the most recent episode of the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea sat down with vocalist and songwriter, Laura Lizcano to discuss "Songs That Say So Much."

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Check out Laura's new record Daughter of the Sea here!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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"A good theme — like the 'Pink Panther' or 'Baby Elephant Walk' — can work all the way through the picture, which is what I did with them. So, for me, a good melody is not just a pretty tune." – Henry Mancini

Music's presence in a film or television show can completely transform the audience experience. It can set the scene, heighten emotions, provide context clues, and so much more. Every now and then, a piece of music can even take on a life of its own, creating a legacy beyond its cinematic origins.

To celebrate some pieces from the pictures and Soundfly's newest course, Intro to Scoring for Film and TV, Carter and Mahea sat down with composer, pianist, and Soundfly CEO, Ian Temple to discuss "Songs That Lived Beyond The Film."

Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website changing the way we build our creative skills. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

Check out each song mentioned on the episode with this playlist!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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There's something pretty wonderful about a piece of music that says everything it means to in under two minutes — a piece that somehow satisfies its listeners while managing to leave them wanting more. There's also something great about a highly-recognizable song that addresses a specific category of leisure attire. If that has you scratching your head, you'll definitely want to either read on or jump right to the episode.

For Episode 53 of our podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea sat down with New York-based singer, songwriter, and incredible person we're glad to call friend, Tasha Solomita to discuss "Short Songs" (or as one of us chose to hear it, "Shorts Songs").

The episode is anchored by selections from the catalogs of a chamber ensemble group called the Pixies, an experimental woodwind orchestra known as the Beatles, and an avant-garde electronic jazz quartet that goes by the Royal Teens. No, we're just kidding. It's an all rock episode.

Check out all of our courses including Kiefer: Keys, Chords, & Beats here. Subscribe to all of Soundfly's premium course content here.

Check out each song mentioned on this episode with this handy Spotify playlist!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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Some tracks are so memorable and monumental that it's hard to imagine other versions of the material. It can be because of the presence of a truly iconic artist, a particularly unique set of recording circumstances, or the sheer fact that the performance happened in a moment that will never come again.

In this episode of Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by artist, songwriter, and producer, Redah to discuss "Songs That Are Impossible to Cover."

Check out all of our courses including RJD2: From Samples to Songs, here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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Time signatures are an interesting and arguably necessary part of our musical language. They provide the grid against which we place rhythmic values and ideas, letting us know each time "1" comes back around as we count along. They are, at least in part, responsible for the feel of a piece of music.

They each come with expectations — 3/4 is often indicative of something waltz-like, 12/8 usually implies a shuffle, 2/2 a march, and of course, good ol' 4/4 is where many listeners and performers feel most at home. But what about those time signatures that stray from the familiar simple and compound varieties?

In episode 51 of our podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by Joey Lefitz, beloved friend, Soundfly Mentor, and superb drummer to discuss "Odd Time Songs."

Check out all of our courses including Beat Making in Ableton Live, here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

Dig into each track from this episode with this Spotify playlist!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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We launched the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation back in the summer of 2020. Since then we've chatted with all sorts of musicians and music lovers about songs related to themes like "Songs From the First Album You Ever Bought" (episode 1), "Songs That Are Incredibly Clever (episode 15), and "Songs That Aren't for the Faint of Heart" (episode 40).

Our panelists have included old friends and new acquaintances. We've spoken to music teachers, instrumentalists, composers, producers, songwriters, students, and several of our Soundfly course instructors — each of whom brought an interesting and passionate perspective to the table.

That said, this ain't no clip show folks. You may have been expecting a highlight reel, but we decided to take things in a different direction, centering the episode around what may very well be our vaguest theme to date: "50." That's it. Just the number 50.

For this one, our panel of regulars had the freedom to select any song in the world, provided they could find a way to relate it to the number 50.

Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website changing the way we build our creative skills :

Check out all of our courses including Com Truise: Mid-fi Synthwave Slow-motion Funk here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

Dig deeper into Songs to Escape Into with this episodes playlist!

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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Have you ever heard a song so good you didn't just admire the writer, but also envied the fact that they came up with it?

In the most recent episode of the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by pop artist and multi-instrumentalist, Sulene van der Walt to discuss the theme "Songs I Wish I'd Written."

This time around, the discussion is anchored by selections from the catalogs of Andy Shauf, Rufus Wainwright, and Irving Berlin. Said selections cover topics like social anxiety, youthful infatuation, and nostalgic longing.

Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website changing the way we build our creative skills :

Check out all of our courses including Songwriting for Producers here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

If you'd like to hear every track mentioned on this episode you can find them on this episode's playlist.

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter!

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To paraphrase the words of our special guest for this week's episode of the podcast, the most powerful songs are often the ones that both meet and challenge our expectations of music.

Because of years of conditioning and generations of artistic traditions, we tend to make a lot of assumptions as listeners. We can't help but expect songs to more or less adhere to certain forms, chord progressions, instrumentations, and countless other patterns.

Overall, that's not necessarily a bad thing. As writers, producers, and performers, we can use those instincts to create specific atmospheres, invoke complex emotions, and otherwise understand and connect with anyone who listens to the music we make.

Of course, there's quite a bit to be said for surprise and delight — the big ideas and tiny details that stray from what's standard, drawing us in by defying that which we've come to expect.

In the latest episode of Soundfly's podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by composer, producer, and the artist featured in Soundfly's newest course, Ryan Lott to discuss "Songs That Defy Expectations."

Themes and Variation is presented by Soundfly, a music education website changing the way we build our creative skills :

Check out all of our courses including Ryan Lott: Designing Virtual Instruments here. Subscribe to all of our courses here and use the discount code PODCAST to take 20% off!

Listen to Son Lux here.

Check out each song discussed on the pod and more songs that defy expectations with this episode's playlist.

Have questions or comments? Want to suggest a theme for a future episode? Drop us a line at podcast@soundfly.com or reach out on Twitter.

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