SMT-Pod

About SMT-Pod

Check out our website: www.smt-pod.org SMT-Pod is a creative venue for timely conversations about music, with episodes chosen through an open, collaborative peer review process. Audio-only podcasts offer a unique—though non-traditional—way of engaging with music, analysis, and contemporary issues in the field. This new publication medium affords our society both the ability to face outwards, by engaging in public scholarship, and inwards, by hosting meaningful conversations about the activity of music analysis. The variety of episode topics will reflect the diversity of the scholars and their scholarship in our field, making SMT-Pod an invaluable publication for music analysts at any stage. Through its goal of promoting a sense of community and inclusivity, SMT-Pod will reach beyond the boundaries of the SMT at this critical moment of calls for the revitalization of our field.

Publisher

Society for Music Theory

Category

music · music · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 May 2021

Latest episode

25 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

72 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Jun 2026

   How Anime Opening Credits Hook You and Tell You a Story - Tan Nazare

   In this week’s episode, Tan Nazare explores the musical and visual mechanics of anime opening credits, analyzing how specific harmonic progressions, textures, and structures are used to engage viewers and support the narrative. This episode was produced by Jose Garza along with Team Lead Leah Frederick. Special thanks to peer reviewers Stephen Ai and Clair Nguyen. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/ (https://smt-pod.org/episodes/)

2. 

   18 Jun 2026

   Swan Lake: How the Classical Ballet Became a Political Mosh - Sasha Drozzina

   In this week's episode, Sasha Drozzina considers the larger political symbolism of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s four-act ballet Swan Lake and the recent sampling of the ballet’s “Dance of the Little Swans” and its subversive use by a Russian rapper and singer-songwriter, Noize MC in his 2023 song “Kooperativ “Lebedinnoe Ozero”” (Cooperative “Swan Lake” in English) This episode was produced by Mark Micchelli along with Team Lead Jennifer Weaver. Special thanks to peer reviewers Ellen Bakulina and Orit Hilewicz. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/ (https://smt-pod.org/episodes/)

3. 

   11 Jun 2026

   One Block to Rule Them All: The Single-Block Form in African Music - Alice (Bai) Xue

   In this week's episode, Alice Xue introduces the “single-block form” in African music, and shows through 8 examples how repetition generates complexity, meaning, expressive power and participation. This episode was produced by Mark Micchelli along with Team Lead Caitlin Martinkus. Special thanks to peer reviewers Martin Scherzinger and John Heilig. SMT-Pod’s theme music was written by Maria Tartaglia, with closing music by Yike Zhang. For supplementary materials on this episode and more information on our authors and composers, check out our website: https://smt-pod.org/episodes/ (https://smt-pod.org/episodes/)

Who has been a guest on SMT-Pod

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Craig Peaslee
• Audrey Slote
• Mark Micchelli
• Samantha Sasaki
• Brad Osborn

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

58

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

Contact SMT-Pod

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.