Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds

Today’s guest is biologist and environmentalist, Dr. Roger Payne. In 1970 Dr Payne recorded “Songs of the Humpback Whale” which stands as the best-selling environmental album in history. This album and it’s popularity crafted the “Save the Whales” movement which then led to the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment ten-year global moratorium on commercial wh...

Today’s guest is pianist and composer Elena Kats-Chernin! Best known for her opera, Wild Swans, Elena also creates orchestral works, solo pieces, as well as music for various mediums from dance to film. You’ll recognize works such as Clocks, Book of Rags, and Orpheus/Odysseus/Poppea. On this episode we talk about focusing on what you will do today instead of what you did yesterday, snippets of old p...

Today’s guest is astronaut and test pilot, Michael López-Alegría. Michael has completed three Space Shuttle missions and an International Space Station mission. He holds the record for highest number of spacewalks (also known as EVAs), as well as longest total duration of time in EVA. On this episode, we talk about the ways traveling to space changes your view of life, working with purpose, ...

Today’s guest is musician, songwriter, and five-time Grammy winner, Keb’ Mo’. He’s a blues musician, having released songs such as Am I Wrong, Good To Be, and Will The Circle Be Unbroken. On this episode, we talk about making music during the pandemic, the different approaches when recording on tape, and how mistakes in music can feel more authentic. We also talk about bands being in tim...

Today’s guest is Roy Cooper, the Governor of Ben’s home state of North Carolina. In office, Governor Cooper has placed focus on the arts and preserving art communities during the pandemic. In this episode they talk about the logistics of arts funding, how the arts grow small towns, and public versus private. Ben gives tribute to region that helped shape him, and asks how we can continue to support, ...

Today’s guest is actor and singer, Nicholas Barasch. He's starred in the Broadway productions of She Loves Me and West Side Story. Nicholas is currently starring in the Broadway National Tour of Hadestown. On this episode, we talk about becoming a child actor, how to work through puberty and voice changes, and how rejections are the biggest part of an actor’s job. We also talk about how different ve...

Today’s guest is former U.S. Army General, and CEO and President of Americans for the Arts, Nolen Bivens. His work pushes for arts and arts education in the public and private sectors and emphasizes the importance that creativity has in every aspect in life. On this episode, we dive into talking about military artists, how the United States has always had a relationship with art, and how battles are like ...

Today’s guest is singer, songwriter, and musician, Cassadee Pope. Cassadee was the lead singer of Hey Monday, and has had a successful solo career. After winning NBC’s “The Voice” in 2012, she’s continued to create hit songs and express her creativity. On this episode we talk about what makes good collaboration, how competition can be a healthy driving factor, and how experiences s...

Today’s guest is the founder of Kush Audio and Sly-Fi Digital, Gregory Scott. He’s worked to create countless plug-ins and interfaces to help creatives working in audio. He’s also the host of “Kush After Hours,” a program dedicated to teach mixing, mastering, and audio work in inventive and creative ways, giving deep insights to everyone that listens. On this episode, we talk about...

Today’s guest is stand-up comedian, actress, musician, activist, and author, Margaret Cho. You’ll recognize her from the sitcom she created and starred in,  All-American Girl, as well as various roles in media, being featured in ventures like, Face/Off, Drop Dead Diva, 30 Rock, and many, many more. Margaret is best known for her stand-up comedy routines, where she transforms the stage into a pl...

Today’s guest is Osteopath, 10-times World Champion in full-contact Filipino Stick-fighting, 8th Dan Black Belt in Filipino Martial Arts, Andrea Wheatly. Andrea is a fighter, inside and outside of the ring. She has been paralyzed four times over her career, relearning to walk in 2014. She is a testament to hard work, dedication, and passion, in every aspect of her career. In this episode we talk about how...

Today’s guest is Multi-Instrumentalist and Vocalist, Jacob Collier! You’ll recognize him from tracks such as “All I Need,” “The Sun In Your Eyes,” and “In Too Deep.” His music spans across several styles and genres as Jacob looks for new and interesting ways to create. On this episode we talk about how digital instruments have changed how we make music, how physic...

Today’s guest is actor, producer, writer, and podcaster, Rainn Wilson. You’ll recognize him as Dwight Schrute from NBC’s The Office, the digital media company he co-founded, SoulPancake, the Lidè Foundation with it’s goal to empower at-risk women and girls through the arts in rural Haiti, or from his podcast, Metaphysical Milkshake. On this episode we talk about improv vs. set str...

Today’s guest is musician, actor, and producer, Peter Frampton. You’ll recognize his work from music groups like: Humble Pie, The Herd, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. You’ll also see him in movies like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Almost Famous. In this episode we talk about being a fan for someone else’s work and how an artist can be respectful when someon...

Today’s guest is literary scholar, Research Fellow, Author, and Editor, Jonathan Gottschall! His latest book, The Story Paradox, highlights the influence of storytellers and how stories can be used for both good and bad purposes. His other work, The Storytelling Animal, shows how human beings are wired to consume stories. On this episode, we talk about how storytellers transport listeners to another state...

Today’s guest is actress, model, writer, and musician, Lindsey Kraft. You know her from The Shrink Next Door, Grace and Frankie, Getting On, Veep, and more! On this episode we dive into talking about going to a spiritual healer to help people transition from corporate to creative, changing between acting and playing piano, and looking for the truth to tell in songwriting. We also talk about approaching so...

Today’s guest is mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, Chris Thile. You’ll know him from his work with the acoustic trio Nickel Creek, the bluegrass group, Punch Brothers, as well as his solo album, Laysongs, released this year. On this episode we talk about how the meaning of folk music changes with cultures, growing up in a musical household, showcasing both work that you worked hard on as well as ...

Today’s guest is magician Penn Jillette! Half of the comedy magic duo, Penn & Teller, Penn is also a musician, actor, inventor, author, and more. You’ll know him from his years of magic, the hit television show: Fool Us, and his podcast Penn’s Sunday School. On this episode, we talk about creating an even playing field in magic, choosing something you know you won’t be the best at, a...

My guest this week is singer-songwriter Dodie. She started out by uploading original songs and covers to YouTube back in 2007, and now she's got almost 2 million YouTube subscribers, 3 EPs, and 1 full-length album. On this episode, we talk about creating a career using YouTube, the best recording session of Dodie’s life, and how a music career starting from YouTube varies compared to a more traditional ro...