Shows
The Door to PeaceMaking Space for Conflict: A Path Forward from the ChaosConflict at home? At work? In your faith community? You might be surprised at what lies at the core of most conflicts. Jen Fraser joins the Door to Peace podcast to share practical tools of what she has learned about psychological phenomena that occur in conflict. She is passionate to meet people where they are and bring peace and understanding to the root of the anxieties and worries during conflict. Jen masterfully says that “Conflict can be a way of stabilizing the system”. Jen shares her experienc...
2024-09-0650 min
Strong Songs"Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate BushHappy holidays! Here's a Patreon minisode Kirk published last summer about Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." See you in 2023!ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES, 6/24/2022:The whole world is talking about Kate Bush's masterful 1985 song "Running Up That Hill," so Kirk figured he might as well talk about it, too. On this bonus Patreon episode, he takes a crack at re-creating the song's iconic sound and digs into some of the digital recording technology that Bush used to make it sound so distinct.FEATURED/DISCUSSED:"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush from The K...
2022-12-3020 min
Strong Songs"Blood and Thunder" by MastodonWhite! Whale! Holy! Grail!Strong Songs kicks off year four by getting H-E-A-V-Y, with an analysis of Mastodon's "Blood and Thunder." Pass straight past the Mellow Meadows, through the Forests and the Foothills of Rock, and see if you can reach the summit of Hard Mountain. The view from up there is amazing.Written by: MastodonAlbum: Leviathan, 2004Listen/Buy on all platforms via SongwhipOUTRO SOLOIST: Kirk HamiltonKirk is the host of Strong Songs, and he's been having a lot of fun with the guitar...
2022-01-1442 minStrong SongsSinging Like A Star, with Eric VetroWhat do Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, John Legend, and Katy Perry have in common? They all study with Eric Vetro, one of the most in-demand vocal coaches in the world.On this bonus episode, Kirk sits down with Vetro to talk about his fascinating job, how to build good habits for a strong voice, and the art and discipline (and diet!) of professional singing.CHECK OUT ERIC'S PODCAST!Eric has a fantastic new podcast called Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro, where he sits down with his superstar students to talk about their lives...
2021-11-1055 min
Strong Songs"Cameo Lover" by KimbraOpen up your heart! Open up your heart! Open up your heart, let Kimbra pull you out!On this episode, Kirk goes for a swim in the extra-buoyant waters of Kimbra's 2011 pop stomper "Cameo Lover." It's an intricate musical narrative told through shifting time-feels, retro drum beats, leaping vocals, and sneaky key changes, and it's just the song to raise our spirits after a long, dark winter.Written by: Kimbra JohnsonAlbum: Vows (2011)Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Goty...
2021-03-2455 min
Strong Songs"Hide and Seek" by Imogen HeapWhere are we? What the hell is going on? Oh right, we're here with our podcast device, listening to an episode of Strong Songs.On this episode, Kirk dives into Imogen Heap's one-woman choral masterwork "Hide and Seek," taking a closer look at the technologies and processes Heap used to get that bewitching sound, her striking use of breath and dynamic contrast, and the many subtle ways she took the oh-so familiar "four chords" and made them sound unique.Written by: Imogen HeapAlbum: Speak for Yourself (2005)Listen/Buy via Album...
2021-01-2758 min
Strong Songs"Space Oddity" and "Starman" by David BowieLet the children lose it, let the children use it, and let all the children join in for Strong Songs year three!Kirk kicks off the new year with a pair of classics by the great David Bowie: 1969's melancholy "Space Oddity" and 1972's triumphant "Starman." What goes up, as they say, must come down.Written by: David BowieAlbums: David Bowie (1969), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)Listen/Buy Bowie via Album.LinkListen/Buy Ziggy via Album.LinkALSO...
2021-01-1353 min