Nevermind the Music

Who’s your favorite female trombone player? Male flautist? Here we talk about how some instruments are weirdly gendered, find out which girly instrument Mark tried to learn, and hear a bit from Nichole about the brain differences between the biological males and females. Is all this nature or nurtu...

Did I hear a music major alert? Grab your college degree and geek out with us about Lizzo’s 2019 soul/hip-hop hybrid “Cuz I Love You.” Mark can’t stop crying thinking about the musical foreshadowing that occurs in this song’s bombastic hook, and how that fits perfectly with its genre blending stew....

What do artists owe the audience? In this sidetrack, we talk about when fans only want to hear an artist’s old material, even when they keep making new great music. The hosts share some artists they think haven’t received enough attention of late, and ponder what it means to be a “real fan.” Lastly...

What’s a better introduction to an artist, a ballad or a bop? With all due respect to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” we’d rather overthink Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit “Time After Time.” Mark has something to say about the relationship between syncopated rhythms (big word alert!) and the song’s themes, ...

What are all these hashtags all over my sheet music? In our final music review session, Mark and Nichole talk sharps, flats, scales, and chords. Get your head on straight with all things pitch before the class withdrawal deadline! Another full episode next week! Music heard in this episode: Coolio ...

Which one of us was learned good? Nichole gushes about Mr. Joe Mulligan, her amazing high school music teacher, while Mark laments the sad story of <NAME REDACTED>, his below-average high school music teacher. See you next week for a full episode! Send us your thoughts at NeverMusicPod@gmail....

Did you learn your fractions? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole break down timing in music, including both rhythm and musical form (and key lime pie). The paper is due next week, so you’d better attend so the TA can review your outline before you fail this class and lose your football scholar...

Wait, was “Undone” really the most popular early Weezer song? In this epic episode we unravel Weezer’s 1994 hit (in some universes, at least), “Undone - The Sweater Song.” After discussing the hosts’ history with the band, Mark follows a thread of connection between some of the iconic elements of t...

What’s with all the fancy terms? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole convene the study group just in time to help with your homework. In this meeting, the hosts talk through the terms and concepts associated with how music sounds, and be ready when big words like timbre, staccato, fortissimo, a...

How is Taylor Swift Like Super Mario Bros. 3? Which Star Trek has the coolest theme music? This week, we dip back into the well of listener questions! Come back next week for a full episode! Music heard in this episode: Stephen Schwartz - excerpt from Godspell, Great Grandpa - "English Garden&#...