Upcoming Guest

1/10/2025

Start of Season 9

The Hat Ladies consists of Lisa Pimentel and Joanie Pimentel, sisters and veteran music teachers who also write songs and produce music. 

The Hat Ladies release their first children's music album "You're a Star" and is available at all streaming platforms.

The children's music album by The Hat Ladies features songs about going to school, going to bed, missing loved ones when they're away and other topics inspired by their extensive experience working with children in the classroom. This music was written and meant for people of all ages. 

The children's music album titled, "You're a Star" by The Hat Ladies is available on all streaming platforms. 

For more information on The Hat Ladies, visit: https://thehatladiesmusic.com

1/24/2025

Richard Sparks was born in England, and a graduate of Oxford University (Exeter College, where, like both JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman before him, he studied English Language and Literature), Richard started out as a writer of stage plays, comedy revues and TV, for such shows as Not the Nine O’clock News. Rowan Atkinson performed his Schoolmaster sketch in John Cleese’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball. UK TV credits include The Famous Five, The Flying Kiwi, The Optimist, The Worst of Hollywood, and a lot of script editing. On being hired by Columbia Pictures TV, Richard moved with his family to Los Angeles. His lyrics have been recorded by talents as diverse as Dom de Luise, Eric Idle, Vanessa Williams and Plácido Domingo. He has written libretti for several new operas composed by Lee Holdridge (TV’s Beauty and the Beast, et al.), produced by the LA Opera, as well writing new English versions of German and Italian classics. His non-fiction books, Diary of a Mad Poker Player, and its sequel, Getting Lucky, chronicle his adventures in the poker boom of the 2000’s. Along the Cherry Lane is his biography of the music producer, Milt Okun.
“High Adventure Spiced with Low Comedy,” inspired by his love of online role-playing games, New Rock New Role is the first of four volumes Richard has written so far in the New Rock fantasy series, and is his fiction debut. 

Website:  https://richardsparks.com/

2/7/2025

Bridget Barkan is a chameleon artist who shape-shifts through genre and style with a thread of raw truth and soul, woven into every melody and lyric. A native New Yorker, she has toured the world with pop/glam band Scissor Sisters and has performed with Bright Light Bright Light and Slow Knights. Starring in LGBTQ romantic classic “Walk with Me,” as a singer/songwriter, featured on the original album as well. As a singer she has also opened for Lady Gaga, and has shared the stage with Drag legends Joey Arias, Murray Hill and more. She worked closely with Baz Luhrmann as the voice of Misty Holloway on the Netflix show “The Get Down.” Bridget has released singles with the House DJ/producer legend Todd Terry as well as numerous of her own singles. As a child actress, she has appeared in countless commercials and Sesame Street. She has starred in HBO’s Everyday People, Sherrybaby, Redacted, God’s Pocket, Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick and had a recurring role as a one-legged “hooker” on Law & Order: SVU. On stage, Barkan has appeared in numerous productions including Dog Sees God and alongside Lea Michelle in a workshop of Spring Awakening.

2/21/2025

Randee Dawn is a Brooklyn-based author and journalist focusing on speculative fiction across the categories (science-fiction, fantasy, and horror) at night while writing entertainment and lifestyle stories during the day for publications including Today.com, NBCNews.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Emmy Magazine.

You may have seen her name in other publications over the years, including Soap Opera Digest and The Boston Phoenix, E! Online, New Musical Express, and Mojo. She contributed to a French book about American television, Les Series Tele, and co-authored (with Susan Green) The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion.

For more info: https://randeedawn.com

3/7/2025

A pioneering transgender artist, Zenith has captivated global audiences with his fearless exploration of music and unwavering genuine purity. Beginning his journey of self-discovery in New Orleans where he found refuge in compassionate doctors who helped him navigate the challenges of being a transgender adolescent, he emerged as a confident artist who fronted acclaimed bands such as Jenifer Convertible, Tenterhooks, Minor Planets, and Pop Combo. His collaborations with renowned producers James Murphy(pre-LCD Soundsystem) and Wharton Tiers(Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) and performances with legendary acts like U2, Iggy Pop, The Replacements, and Xunderscore his influential presence in the music world. Now, as he prepares for the release of his new album with an even better grasp of his exceptionally powerful songwriting, Zenith hopes that audiences will spend more time immersing themselves in the richness of his music. “Sonically it feels so rich and diverse it may not be as easily digestible in one listen like some of my previous powerpop records,” he says. Always one to promote inclusivity, he concludes, “I'd like people to recognize the love and effort that was put into this record from all the players, the producer, the mastering engineer, and even the pressing plant.”He/Hymn includes guitar work from friends Jimmy Robinson (Woodenhead) and Andrew Solin (Parker Woodland) with assistance from Tommy Mandel (Bryan Adams, Dire Straits, Clash), Jeff Hermanson (trumpet), Ron Raymond (pedal steel), James Pertusi (bass, vocals) and Leonard Cohen’s longtime drummer, Rafael Gayol played on most of the tracks with Steven Fisher, Scott Campbellor Rohin Khemani filling on others. It was produced by James Pertusiand mastered by Emerson Mancini (Lizzo, Jon Batiste, Kendrick Lamar) at Demifuge Studios. The cover art is by Five Eight guitarist, Sean Dunn.

Website: https://lennyzenith.com

3/21/2025

A look back at the last four years of the podcast and life.

4/4/2025

Julie Brill (she/her) is at work on a memoir entitled Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia. Her numerous short pieces related to this larger project appear in Haaretz, the Forward, Balkan Insight, Kveller, Cognoscenti, Alma, the Globe Post, and elsewhere. She shares her family’s experiences in the Shoah with middle and high school students through Living Links.

Julie is a lactation consultant, childbirth educator & doula at WellPregnancy in Boston. Julie is also the author of the anthology Round the Circle: Doulas Share their Experiences. She lives outside of Boston and is the mother of two adult daughters.

Julie is a contributor to the Read650 Anthology Jewish: True Stories of Love, Latkes, and L'Chaim and has been featured on Memoir Mondays.

Follow her on Twitter @JulieBrill8 and Instagram @JulieSBrill.

4/18/2025

Lively, magnetic, and memorable – Shari Rowe is nothing short of enchanting in all aspects. This Southwestern troubadour has spent her career captivating audiences worldwide, from multiple tours in Poland to charity events and big stage concerts opening for artists like Wynonna Judd and LeAnn Rimes. Living her life in the true spirit of country music, Shari Rowe leaves an impression – and this impression inspires and uplifts audiences through the power of music. 

5/2/225

Robert Schrenier is the author of The Wolves and the Greyhounds, a military thriller/historical fiction novel set in the early months of the First World War.

The novel is based on extraordinary actual events. In August 1914, as war was declared, an entire fleet of German warships stealthily eluded an Allied blockade, slipped out into the Pacific Ocean - and disappeared. The possibility that the elusive German fleet might suddenly appear on any horizon paralyzed the British Empire and set in motion a frantic search for the enemy warships.

The book follows two naval captains - on British, one German - as their fates are inexorably drawn together. In this epic wartime adventure, bold gambles and tragic miscalculations pull these two captains, their ships, and their rival empires into a desperate clash—culminating in the most decisive naval battles of the war.

Robert is former CIA Intelligence Officer who works as a consultant and executive in the global private security industry. He is an avid amateur military historian who has traveled the world, routinely sneaking in side-trips to visit ancient fortifications and battlefields. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee with his wife, two spoiled cocker spaniels, an an amusingly musical cockatiel.

Website: https://www.robertschreiner.com

5/16/2025

John Michael Ferrari is a highly acclaimed singer-songwriter and entertainer who loves being on stage. He believes that there are no strangers in the audience and shares his emotional songs about life’s experiences with sophistication and childlike wonder. His latest single, “Music with You,” is all about his audience, and he hopes they can feel the love he has for them through his music. He writes emotional storytelling songs.  He loves what he does. There is no place he’d rather be than on stage.

Named Crossover Artist of the Year by New Music Awards, John Michael pens crossover genre soft yacht rock pop country songs, sometimes with jazz, blues, or Motown influences.  He arranges the music how he and his music producer, Pepper Jay, best think communicates the story.   It’s the John Michael Ferrari genre about life’s experiences.  John Michael splits his time between Nashville and on a ranch in Pahrump, Nevada.John Michael Ferrari writes emotional story-telling songs with touches of simple sophistication in a fusion of country crossover, Top 40, pop, blues, jazz, and child-like wonder genres.  It’s the John Michael Ferrari Genre.

Interested in being on the show send an email to dauna@bettertopodcast.com