In this episode, we take a deep dive into the new Nathans & Ronstadt album, “Esperanza.” The title is a reference to the Spanish word for “hope.” This episode includes preview clips from songs on the album. Singles are beginning to drop, and the full album will be released in July 2026. Enjoy this sneak peak at “Esperanza”!

In part two of our conversation, Connie Kaldor talks about the experience of making music with her family; preparing her voice for shows; and the allure of writing songs about cars. The Boston Globe has described Connie Kaldor as, “a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next.” A three-time Juno Award winner, Connie is a member of the Order of Canada, a Queen’s Golden...

Connie Kaldor began her career in folk music as part of the Canadian wave alongside artists like Stan Rogers and Valdy. Armed with her enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter, she became a headline act on the festival circuit. She talks about touring with her family; what it’s like to cross the border from Canada into the United States in this...

In part two of our conversation with Vance Gilbert, he discusses guitar techniques, plays a few songs, and talks about both the life lessons he’s learned from cancer, as well as how laughter has been a great medicine. Vance Gilbert

We were honored to speak with the great Vance Gilbert, a master songwriter, performer, and teacher whom we have long admired. He’s funny as heck, and it’s common to see him headlining folk festivals around the country as he cracks up his audience, makes them think, and leaves them moved. We cover the full range of emotion in this poignant conversation about his recent struggles with cancer,...

For our Season 3 premiere, we are honored to present our interview with the great James McMurtry, the Texas songwriter who paints vivid portraits in song with sly and smart observations. In our conversation, we cover what motivates him to write; his memories of participating in the Kerrville Folk Festival song contest; his thoughts on international touring and his memories of Guy Clark. His most recent...

We’re back, and with a twist: We now have a video edition of this podcast as well! You can finally see us at our YouTube channel, @nathansronstadt. Or, stick to audio and hear us as nature intended. We’ve got some great guests this season. We can’t wait to share a few details with you.

We continue Michael’s “Ronstadt Radio” series, beginning with “Riders In The Sky,” which contains a fiddle tune in the middle by Ronstadt Generations in 2012. John Ronstadt is back with Miles Davis’ “All Blues” with lyrics. We finish the set with a “The Fire Within” featuring Will Clipman on percussion and Michael on cello.

We have three more fun tracks from the family vault! First up is Round Midnight sung by John Ronstadt in 1994 from the album Maiden Voyage. We then here my dad Michael J. Ronstadt lead on John Prine’s Paradise in 1998. The last one is Wildly Ethereal featuring Will Clipman on percussion. 

In Episode 3, we have three more tracks from the Ronstadt family. We start out with “My Walking Stick” performed by the Ronstadt cousins, which is a song by Irving Berlin. We next go into the beautiful Mexican song “La Barca De Oro” sung by Michael’s dad, which was a favorite song of his grandfather, Gilbert Ronstadt. (Papa Mike is backed by the full Ronstadt Generations...

This week we introduce three songs from the Ronstadt Family vault, first featuring Michael’s dad’s long-time trio, the Ronstadt Cousins and their recording of Wild Mountain Thyme (live in Canelo). He also features his instrumental recording of the fiddle tune Arizona into Wayfaring Stranger from his 2020 instrumental album Nine Stories. It finishes with Ronstadt Generations’ recording of...

For our third season premiere, we introduce several episodes we are calling the Ronstadt Radio Podcast, featuring music from the Ronstadt family vault! This one starts out with Petie Ronstadt’s instrumental banjo piece, Chicago Bar Stomp, performed by Ronstadt Generations. Next, enjoy The Ronstadt Cousin’s Solamente Una Vez, a group my dad had for years with two of his first cousins. Finally...

In our Season 2 finale, we speak with Professor Louie about his memories of working with The Band for over 16 years. He produced their three comeback CD’s in the 90’s: “Jericho,” “High On The Hog” and “Jubilation.” Louie played on and produced their hit song Atlantic City. He talks at length about his time working with the great Garth Hudson. He also...

In the saucy second half of our interview with Livingston Taylor, the legendary folk musician gets philosophical about life, electricity and fire, performing, teaching, and hope. Notably, he discusses why he doesn’t want to dwell too much on his past. He said he sees more patterns as he works with more students over time. “I learn from them what they learn from me.” And he takes out...

We speak with the great Professor Louie of Professor Louie and the Crowmatix, taking a dive into his formative years and musical education. He spoke about how he found his voice in a tough business. “You’ve got to elevate yourself” and be happy for your friends when they are successful, he said, echoing one of the band’s new songs. He spoke about how he learned about healthy...

We were honored to interview folk music legend Livingston Taylor, someone whose music has been in Aaron’s music collection for a very long time. In part one of our conversation with Liv, he talks about the importance of dressing for the occasion. We talk about how he worked with the BBC concert orchestra for his new album, including how he works with his friend, arranger Bill Elliott, for orchestral...

Michael speaks with Z. Mulls, who has co-written elegant and offbeat songs with Michael (you may know their song “Me and My Purple Monkey.”) They released their collaborative album “Less Hospitable Terrain” earlier this year. In their conversation, Z. talks about the origins of “Rumpelstiltskin, Dead at 95,” which required him to go back and review the old story...

Michael recently recorded an album, “Blue Bayou,” with Neysa Ricciardi, and in this week’s episode, he speaks with Neysa about her songwriting process, the value of musical schooling, and writing for others. They discuss the song “September Sad,” which reflects on the end of summer.

This week we’ve lost some important people in our world. Aaron lost his brother in law, David. And the music world lost songwriter and guitarist Christine Havrilla. So it’s no surprise that Aaron has memorial songs on the brain. It’s always tricky to find the right song to play at a memorial service. Maybe you pick something that tells you a little about the deceased, or perhaps you want the...

It’s one of the most delicate questions in songwriting. Do we add a bridge to our songs? Do they need that little bit of variation, those different chords, that rising melody? Michael takes a deep dive into the question of when a bridge is necessary; when it isn’t; and do they really have to sit two-thirds of the way through the song every time? He discusses a few of his songs and how he...

The word “baby” has been a staple of songwriting since before we were born. From “Baby Face” to “Be My Baby” to “…Baby One More Time,” generations of songwriters can’t seem to quit this word. In this episode, we take a historical look at use of the word in songwriting, and what it is we’re really trying to say when we use it. And Aaron...

Michael remembers his cousin, Bobby Ronstadt, who passed away on March 30, 2025. In this episode, Michael recalls doing some of his own earliest studio work on Bobby’s 1999 album “Shadows in a Dream.” Michael recalls what a kind, warm spirit Bobby was. Michael features several of Bobby’s songs in this episode. “I want the world to know his music,” Michael says. The...

When it comes to crafting rhymes in song, the perfect can be the enemy of the good. In a perfect rhyme, among two words, the ending consonants and the vowel sounds that you stress match exactly. Moon, June. Dance, chance. Night, light. But there are a finite number of words that rhyme exactly, and they may not match what you’re trying to say. In this episode, Aaron explains why near rhymes are...

In part two of our conversation, Spook Handy unspools the story behind “This Land Is Your Land.” He talks about how Woody Guthrie had the idea for the song; how Pete Seeger helped him edit the song into the song you know today; and the important role that property rights played in the writing of the song. Spook played with Pete Seeger more than 50 times, and in our conversation, Spook...

New Jersey folk singer and songwriter Spook Handy is our guest this week as we take a deep dive into Woody Guthrie’s classic song “This Land is Your Land.” Spook wrote this wonderful blog about Pete Seeger’s role in helping make the song into what we know it to be today. In part one of our conversation with Spook, he talks about why he cringes when he and Pete Seeger are described...

If you were watching from above, what would your view of humanity be? Michael explores two songs that address this topic, one of which is Craig Bickhardt’s “Life With the Sound Turned Down,” which we play in its entirety. The other song? You’ll have to listen to find out.

A song should be a concise vehicle for getting your point across. And in a three to four minute song, there isn’t much room to belabor the point, or trod ground you’ve already covered. If you can find the spots where you’ve used filler words, Aaron suggests using them as opportunities to say something new, and moving the narrative forward. But there’s one word that is more abused than any...

Michael talks about the songs that spoke to him as a kid. He highlights The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” as well as the song “Sandwiches” by Fred Penner. Michael’s father, Michael J. Ronstadt (a.k.a. “Mr. Ronstadt”), covered the song “Sandwiches,” and that version is included in its entirety in this episode. Both songs appealed to Michael,...

Aaron discusses what it was it was like to be a young songwriter at the Madison Songwriters Group 20 years ago, and how that experience informs his work co-leading the Philly Songwriters Circle. A song critique is a both a musical and social experience. We make good friends there. We learn about new acts. Collaborations are born over wine in the kitchen. It is also a democratic experience. This is...

Michael is on the road this week with Serenity Fisher, his partner in music and life. In this episode, Michael talks with Serenity about her work creating musicals. They include her indie play with music, “Sophie’s Dream,” which she wrote in collaboration with Robin O’Neal. The show was staged at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. She performs songs from the show in her band,...

We’re betting that if you love songwriting like we do, you’ve probably seen the Bob Dylan movie, “A Complete Unknown.” Aaron went out and saw it on Christmas Day, the first day it was open. And he really liked it, especially the acting, the music, and watching all those historical moments unfold right before his eyes.  But there’s one thing about this movie that bugged him. Because no matter...

In 1993, Linda Ronstadt included the song “Adónde voy” on her album “Winter Light.” It was a cover of the original by Tish Hinojosa, and in this episode, Tish tells us the story behind that experience. She was there in the studio when Linda recorded the song. Of course, Tish has long been a friend of the Ronstadt family. We include Tish’s version of the song in its entirety....

In the second half of our conversation with Tish Hinojosa, we speak with her about her time living in Germany, then returning to Texas and having to reestablish her musical connections. She talks about her songs, including what inspired “Colton’s Perfect Heart,” a song about a heart transplant. And we feature “Canto De La Montaña (Song Of The Mountain),” a Spanish-language song inspired...

Singer-Songwriter Leticia “Tish” Hinojosa is our guest this week. We have a lot in common, namely bringing our heritage into our music and stage shows. Tish was born on December 6, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas to Mexican immigrant parents, growing up with Mexican music playing in the kitchen. She released 16 albums between 1987 and 2024, in English and Spanish and in a variety of genres, including...

Michael shines a light into the darkness, examining songs in which the characters make foolish choices, amid the backdrop of beautiful music. The incongruity, he says, can make for incredibly effective songs. He talks about two songs to make his point: Tom Petty’s jangly “To Find a Friend” off of his legendary “Wildflowers” album; and the acoustic trio Barnaby Bright‘s...

This is the second half of our interview with our friend, the great John Flynn. In this episode, we take a deep dive into his song “Prison Bible.” He talks about the meaning he derives from spending time with people who are, or who have been, in prison. We talk about how a prison bible functions as more than a book; how time in prison can serve as a period of self reflection and self discovery; and...

On today’s episode, we interview the great John Flynn. He’s a folk songwriter who sings about social justice, and then walks the walk. He’s worked against the death penalty, and In 2017, Flynn founded New Beginnings – Next Step, Incorporated. It’s a non-profit dedicated to helping incarcerated and returning citizens successfully transition to freedom. John laughed when Aaron said he has the...

Aaron didn’t think much of “Hey Jude” when he first heard it, but in this episode of the Nathans & Roncast, he looks at why this 56-year-old song is so relevant right now. His first impression of Paul McCartney’s masterwork was that it was… mushy. But something about this song has given it wings. The Beatles had a tremendous amount of top-shelf content, but Rolling Stone called...

In this bonus episode, Craig Bickhardt tells the story behind his song “Men and Rivers,” which he wrote about a flood in Nashville. It’s a reflection on mankind’s relationship with nature, which makes the song even more relevant amid more recent high-profile floods. This recording is from his new solo acoustic album, “Soliloquy: Sixteen Solo Songs.” We recently released...

In this episode we talk with Craig Bickhardt about his poignant song “This Old House,” which he co-wrote with fellow Pennsylvanian and Hall of Fame songwriter Thom Schuyler. This is the second half of our conversation with Craig, during which we discuss the human relationships and deeper emotions behind our relationship with things, including cars and houses . “To be a songwriter,”...

We were fortunate to spend a morning sitting in front of microphones at the Pennsylvania home of Craig Bickhardt, one of our favorite songwriters, a good friend of ours, and a regular collaborator. You can hear Michael’s cello on many of Bickhardt’s recordings, and Michael often backs him up live. He is one of the finest song craftsmen we have ever had the pleasure to have known, and his...

Here’s one more single from our live recording of this podcast at the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference in September. This song is “Blacksnake,” which she originally recorded with her band Weda Skirts. It’s a song about the Dakota Access Pipeline project, which threatens the water supply of Native American communities in South Dakota. To hear the entire live event, click...

Here’s an outtake from our recent live podcast taping at the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference, held last month outside of Chicago. It’s our regular set closer/encore song, Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” with hand percussion by Elexa Dawson. To hear our interview with Elexa, click here. We don’t have any more photos of our live taping at FARM,...

We’re presenting some single songs from our live taping of the Nathans & Roncast in Chicago at Folk Alliance Regional Midwest last month. In this episode, Kansas-based songwriter Elexa Dawson sings her song “Mother,” an ode to Mother Earth. Michael adds some tasteful cello to Elexa’s soulful vocals and guitar. She wrote the song in reaction to the Dakota Access Pipeline...

We played a few songs before our live taping of our interview with Elexa Dawson at the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference. Here’s one of them, “Old Joe’s Chair,” written by Aaron and Phil Henry. It’s their song about the relationship between a man and his barber. It’s always good to have someone to talk to, especially during hard times.

In our first Nathans & Roncast recording in front of a live audience, we speak with Kansas-based performing songwriter Elexa Dawson about two songs she wrote about the Dakota Access Pipeline project that threatens the water supply of Native American communities in South Dakota. The songs are “Mother” and “Blacksnake.” We spoke with Elexa at the Folk Alliance Regional Midwest...

Richard Shindell is great story songwriter, and wow can he play guitar. Both of those skills — songwriting and guitar work — are on vivid display on one of his trademark songs, “You Stay Here,” off of his album “Somewhere Near Paterson” which was released in the year 2000. It’s a song about foraging and living off the land. At least that’s what we think it’s about.  There’s a vein of every man for...

In part two of our conversation with the founder of February Album Writing Month, Burr Settles discusses the wonderful and occasionally strange journeys taken by songs written for the challenge. And we take a listen to Burr’s song “Love Out Loud,” which he wrote from a “comments-first” challenge during one FAWM. He built the song entirely around hypothetical feedback left...

Aaron and Michael take you inside the process of making a set list just before a recent house concert. We write the set list in real time, trading songs back and forth and negotiating the pace of the show and making sure the duo’s songs are well balanced. We make it a tradition to build our setlist just beforehand, to keep things interesting, trading the pen back and forth, putting the songs...

Tens of thousands of new songs, perhaps more, exist because Burr Settles founded February Album Writing Month in 2004. The annual monthlong challenge requires participants to write 14 songs in the 28 days of the month. People from around the world participate, sharing their new creations with each other and providing positive feedback, and building community. Burr also was among the early team that...

We’ve been working together for 14 years and counting, and our staying power is thanks in large part to the fact that we are some of each others’ biggest fans. In this episode, we (Aaron and Michael) pick a song of each others’ to praise. What makes the song work, both musically and lyrically? You’ll hear the songs in their entirety at the end. You’ll also hear the wind...

Hello, Aaron here. Anyone who has heard me play has probably heard me speak the words “February Album Writing Month” on more than one occasion. Most of my songs — not all of them, but most of them — have been written during the month of February, when there isn’t much to do outside, and the sun sets well before dinnertime. What is February Album Writing Month? Fashioned after National Novel Writing...

Musically we can try to emulate, recreate, and imitate, but how do we begin the process of creating a song within our own voice? How can we get the listener’s attention with some surprises while simultaneously helping them feel at home and comfortable? Do we write with a genre in mind or can we not worry about that until we create the song that wanted to be written? Join Michael as he explores these...

You have very likely never heard this song before, and it grips you right from the start. There is Buddy Mondlock’s trademark sweet steel-string guitar and soothing voice, but in contrast to much of his other, subtler material, this story is heart-stoppingly dramatic.  Buddy Mondlock, left, and Wade Bates. Mondlock sings from the point of view of his co-writer, Wade Bates, who had been an...

Songwriting master Buddy Mondlock is known for having cowritten with Guy Clark, Janis Ian, Art Garfunkel, and some fellow named Garth Brooks. His music has been covered by Peter, Paul and Mary, as well as Nanci Griffith, and David Wilcox. We love his gentle voice and his lyrical eye for detail. His inspiring tune about wanderlust, “The Kid,” was covered by the supergroup of “Cry Cry Cry” made up...

One surefire way to make your song stand out is to add an unexpected twist in the story. In this mini episode, Aaron will review some classic songs, from “Drive My Car” to “Sunny Came Home” to “The Pina Colada song,” that employed this method to great effect. And we’ll take a special look at how James Keelaghan, who we interviewed in the last two episodes,...

This is the second part of our conversation with James Keelaghan about his classic song “Cold Missouri Waters,” one of the most covered and admired folk story songs of our time. He wrote it about the Mann Gulch fire in western Montana in August 1949, which happened 75 years ago this month. He’s told the story of how he wrote the song before, but this may be the first time he’s done so for...

Today we join songwriter James Keelaghan as we take a deep dive into one of the best folk songs ever written, a story song that has been covered countless times. The song is “Cold Missouri Waters,” first released in 1995. The song is a harrowing portrait of the Mann Gulch Fire in the mountains of Montana, which occurred on August 5, 1949, 75 years ago today. We are proud to have James as our guest...

What is it about a song that draws us in? Is it the melody? A catchy beat? A story, or perhaps wordplay? In the new season of the Nathans & Roncast, which premieres on August 5, we’ll shine the light on other peoples’ songs. We will talk with musicians and songwriters about the building blocks that make up a great tune. We’ll start with a two-part interview with the author of...

What is twelve-tone music? Made famous by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton von Webern and Alban Berg, it was a new concept in how to construct music. It was developed roughly around World War I, and for a while was all the rage in conservatories and bastions of serious music. But it can be difficult to listen to, and as such made for a great topic for a (ironically) very tonal song, Aaron & Michael’s...

Jude Hayden and Dave Criddle met at Miami University in 1989 and played epic, acoustic duo shows for the next decade, playing an eclectic mix of Prince, XTC, Elvis Presley, They Might Be Giants, The Coasters and Robyn Hitchcock, among others.   In about 1995, Dave started getting serious about recording and they created two home recorded albums and an EP with surprisingly high production value,...

Aaron holding up his lanyard at the 2024 Trenton Computer Festival. In their best moments, whether it’s electronic music, or creating the best gadgets, our devices are designed to bring out our humanity, to reveal the human spirit, and allow people to do what we do best. And that’s how I got turned on to the idea of writing songs about computers that don’t criticize the devices. This episode,...

Computers and technology have both improved our lives and complicated them; made us safer and more vulnerable; and brought both joy and sorrow into our world. And yet when it comes to popular music, the overwhelming majority of songs pile up on the negative side of the ledger.  Popular songs about technology tell of destruction and illness. They sing: “Video killed the radio star,” “Machines dehumanize,”...

Serenity Fisher & The Cardboard Hearts is a family band in many senses of the phrase, and not just because Michael, who plays cello, is married to the lead singer (pictured in the center here). There are all kinds of family ties that bind this group together, literal and figurative. The band blends playful pop-rock with a Tim Burton-esque quirkiness, which is especially true on this song. A wordsmith, Serenity coaxes...

A few weeks back we featured Peter MacDonald Blachly as our interview guest as we discussed the song “Evening,” which Michael wrote as a posthumous co-write with Peter’s great-uncle, the poet Clarence Dan Blachly. Michael and Aaron also wrote “I Stood Upon a Hill,” from our album Crooked Fiddle, based on Clarence Dan’s words. In addition to being a great custodian of his family’s history, Peter is...

You know Michael G. Ronstadt’s alternative folk side, but do you know he’s classically trained, with a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music? Check out this piece, which we bet you’ll like.

Tim Reisert writes songs with meditation, nature, and memory close to the surface. His songs bring the listener into a shared world. He began writing songs while living in New York City, then spent a few years involved in the DIY music scene in Phoenix, Arizona. He currently lives and teaches in Cincinnati, Ohio. His album Viewfinder is a love letter to the natural world–with no expectation...

The stunning sound quality on “Hello World” was made possible by Gregory Hugh Brady, a recording engineer at Smithbridge Studios (Greg is at center in the photo). We started recording with him for “Shadow of the Cyclone,” and when the world shut down just before its release in 2020, there were no gigs… So, we just kept recording, leading to our most recent album. Greg,...

This week we feature our friend, the amazing multi-talented LisaBeth Weber. She’s a writer, a visual artist, and a creative consultant from Bucks County, PA. She’s an important part of the Philadelphia folk scene, whether it’s in the songs she plays, the beautiful pins she designs, or just the way she’ll show up and support you. She has opened shows for Nanci Griffith, Ralph Stanley, Dave Grisman,...

Rachel Mousie Rachel Mousie, vocalist, songwriter, and looper, was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. Her songs feature spare but meaningful piano parts, looped vocal harmonies, and percussive rhythms behind melodic vocal lines. It’s music that makes you feel something. During the day, she’s a clinically licensed social worker at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and a child mental...

Who was Clarence Dan Blachly? Michael came upon his book of poems named “Stubble Fields,” published in 1939, when he was wandering through a used bookstore in Phoenixville, PA more than a decade ago. He was so taken with the beauty of the prose, he asked Aaron to help put music to one of the poems. That led to “I Stood Upon a Hill,” which opens Aaron & Michael’s first album. Michael set another...

This week we are featuring a musical force of nature here in the Philadelphia music scene: Rob Lincoln. Rob reminds me a little of myself (Aaron) in his willingness to write about anything, including real people. We share an appreciation of historical figures — he took the stage name Lincoln, after all. (It’s his middle name.) Today we’ll present his song about a different former president....

These days, so many of the Ronstadt family members actively perform and sometimes tour. In the fall of 2022, they held a family gala that packed the Fox Theatre in Tucson with 1200 seats full! Two of those featured family members are Linda’s nephews Petie and Michael G. Ronstadt, who travel and perform as Ronstadt Brothers. They toured with their late father and Linda’s brother,...

Aaron’s love of baseball history led him to Rory Costello’s fabulous essay about the secret history of Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the two-year period after the Dodgers left and before the beloved park was razed. Costello’s Essay, “Twilight at Ebbets Field,” (click on this link to read it) tells of the many activities that took place at the park during its final years, including...

She’s Liz, he’s Pete, they are Liz & Pete. Liz Cerepanya and Peter Dalton Ronstadt (Michael’s brother) join musical forces to explore material old and new. Liz’s heartfelt voice with Pete’s haunting harmonies and rich guitar arrangements captivate the mind and tug at the heart. After a few passing introductions in their shared music scene, Liz Cerepanya joined Peter...

In Aaron & Michael’s first real-life podcast adventure, they take to the high seas in search of whales. What could possibly go wrong? (Hint: almost EVERYTHING goes wrong.) So how do our heroes manage to sully what should be a straightforward whale watch on a beautiful day off the coast of Boston? Tune in as Aaron and Michael recap their adventure, complete with audio from the boat, and reflections...

This week we are featuring an old friend of mine, Beth Kille, who fronts the Beth Kille Band in Madison, Wisconsin. I lived in Madison in the late 90s until the mid 2000’s, and that’s where I learned the craft of songwriting as a member of the Madison Songwriters Group. It was a group that met monthly at a local brewery, and we sat at a table in the private back room and critiqued each others’ new...

Nick Pyenson We dive deep into the ocean — and the past — to explore whales, Earth’s most fascinating animals, with Dr. Nick Pyenson. He is the curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., as well as author of the acclaimed non-fiction book “Spying on Whales: The Past, Present and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome...

This week we are featuring a good friend of Aaron’s, a very special artist named Meghan Cary. The singer-songwriters in Philadelphia know that Meghan is the sun around which the rest of us planets orbit. She’s an extrovert, a songleader, convener of the tribe, and a wonderful, empathetic soul. The song we feature this week is “River Rock,” off of her 2017 release “Sing...

Josh Hisle, left, and Michael G. Ronstadt, in an undated photo. Lost in Holland was Michael’s duo with Josh Hisle from 2008 to 2012. “Son of a Roofer” is off Lost in Holland’s new EP, “The Next Great Loss,” their first newly released recorded music in more than a decade. Hisle, a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq war, is one of the most honest and passionate...

George Dyson Aaron’s song “Sorry, Alan” explores the inspirational and tragic life of Alan Turing, father of computer science and World War II hero. To take a deeper look at Turing, we speak with George Dyson, author of “Turing’s Cathedral: Origins of the Digital Universe.” It’s the story of how in the 1940s and ‘50s, a small group of people gathered in Princeton, New Jersey to build one of the first...

The Ronstadt family has been in Tucson, AZ for five generations and the next generation is growing fast! That being said, if we rewind back to 1995, Michael J. Ronstadt, father of cellist Michael G. Ronstadt of the Nathans & Roncast, we find some music that has never seen the digital light of day.  Michael J. Ronstadt (“Papa Mike”) closed down the Ronstadt Pump Company in the early 90’s...

This song by Aaron explores the simple pleasures of a parent playing in the snow with their child. We are pleased to interview Doug Hamilton, whose fiddle plays an important part in the sound of this song. He describes himself as classically trained, but physically drained by years of violin playing. A polymath and veteran of half a century performing in venues from tiny bookstores to arenas, Hamilton...

In this first mini-episode, we feature “My World,” by Michael’s cousin, Bobby Ronstadt. Bobby was born and raised in Tucson, spent some years in Los Angeles until one too many earthquakes brought him back home in 1995. He has since been hosting Monthly Music nights, been featured on numerous recordings and is currently a member of PD Ronstadt and the Company. Bobby brings his own...

“I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there,” wrote Paul Simon in “The Boxer.” That’s the theme of “Without the Cold,” the third track on the Nathans & Ronstadt album “Hello World.” Melancholy isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it can be a feeling of peace. That was the idea of Alan Jay Prescott, who contributed to a Nathans & Ronstadt Kickstarter campaign,...

Who was Dr. Morris Joelson? In this episode we revisit the life of a physician in Paterson, New Jersey who was famous for having delivered 20,000 babies during his lifetime. But Dr. Joelson (1885-1958) was also a beloved family doctor, willing to brave any weather to pay a house call, and if the family couldn’t afford it, not only would he refuse payment — he might just leave a little money under...

Learning any new skill requires that scary first step. We’re honored to take our first step into podcasting with our guest Brian Kernighan, a groundbreaking computer scientist whose “Hello, World!” program reshaped the way people learned to program computers. If a budding coder can successfully input a few lines, they are rewarded with seeing “Hello, World!” on their screen, and suddenly they are on...