Grammy-winning composer and NEA Jazz Master Maria Schneider on 30 years of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, her life and career, from her small-town Minnesota roots to her groundbreaking collaboration with David Bowie and her fight for artists’ rights.

Here she talks about how her music channels the wonder, mystery, and tension of her life experiences, her poetic creative process, her acclaimed album Data Lords, and her reflections on what’s next as she looks back on a remarkable journey.

www.third-story.com
www.leosidran.substack.com

Just like we did after the 2016 and 2020 elections, I spoke with my dad Ben Sidran this week about the latest presidential election.

True to form, it is a conversation that appears to be about one thing but is in fact about many things. What begins as a somber acknowledgement of the election results turns quickly to a sprawling discussion of everything from Will and Ariel Durant’s massive 11-volume work, The Story of Civilization, Seinfeld, The First Council of Nicaea, Irving Berlin, Jack Kerouac, what separates humankind from the rest of the animal kingdom, bottle service at "the party club", the importance of beauty, and what it means to “chop your wood and carry water.”

www.third-story.com
www.leosidran.substack.com

Andrew Bird has been on a quest for meaning in sound since childhood, starting with the violin at age four and earning a degree in violin performance from Northwestern University. His journey has taken him from classical and folk roots to the vibrant Chicago swing scene, to creative isolation in a barn in Western Illinois, and eventually to become a genre defying artist and composer with a unique voice.

Andrew’s lyrics are both confessional and impressionist, often leading listeners on a journey through evocative imagery. With just a looping pedal, he reinvented his sound, blending classical, folk, and indie rock and crafted a distinct sonic landscape that defines his music today.

After nearly three decades and 20 albums, Andrew continues to evolve. His latest release, Sunday Morning Put On, pays tribute to jazz standards while maintaining his signature sound. He describes it as a “sabbatical” project, giving him space to reflect and create without pressure.

Just recently, he released Cunningham Bird, a tribute to the classic Buckingham Nicks album. Here he shares insights about his early days, the isolation that shaped him, songwriting as a form of “speaking in tongues”and the lessons learned from performing standards.

Here he talks about his early days in Chicago, the journey that led him into isolation, discovering his sound, songwriting as a form of “speaking in tongues”, what it means to be living his life in song form, and what he learned from singing standards.

www.third-story.com
www.leosidran.substack.com
www.wbgo.org/podcast/the-third-story