Best Come Get Sum Podcasts (2025)

1
Working from the Inside Out: Paths to Personal and Global Transformation with Renée Lertzman 1:09:54

3d ago1:09:54

1:09:54

We've known for decades that the 'yell and tell' strategy of belittling people, endeavouring to cajole—or shame—them into some kind of change doesn't work - in fact it can't work. It's not how we're wired. Cognitive neuroscience has been telling us this for decades but it's only recently that people have begun to listen. One of those who has been s…

1
The Others Within Us: Meeting our Spirit Guides and other entities with Bob Falconer 1:11:31

10d ago1:11:31

1:11:31

Our world is more magical than we know - more than we can know. Increasing numbers of us are realising that the 'citadel theory of mind' where we see ourselves as isolated units within the boundaries of our own skulls is not how the world works. But if it isn't, then how do we make sense of the worlds beyond consensus reality? How do we engage with…

1
Radical Change: Building a Parallel Economy with Peter Kemp of Citizen Coin 1:20:14

17d ago1:20:14

1:20:14

We are living through a time between stories—where the old economic narratives of scarcity, extraction, and separation are crumbling, and a new one is seeking to be born. At the heart of this transition is the question: What do we truly value, and how do we express that value in ways that nourish life? Imagine a society where every act of care, con…

1
Beyond Zero Sum: Rehumanising our Conflicts with Carm Aufderheide of NorthStar Training Solutions 1:35:41

24d ago1:35:41

1:35:41

All flourishing is mutual, that's a given. And yet the schisms in our culture, the tribal divides and limbic hijack seem to grow deeper and more powerful by the day. It doesn't have to be like this. We do have the tools of connection, of genuine listening, of offering trust to gain trust and offering respect to gain respect, we just need to know ho…

1
Red Pill/Blue Pill, Green Pill/True Pill – Creating a Media Commons with Debs Grayson of Opus Independents 1:24:28

1M ago1:24:28

1:24:28

Our legacy - or status quo - media is owned and run by billionaires for billionaires and the stories they promote are the ones that will keep us all in line. How do we shift the global narrative towards a future of mutual flourishing? It is axiomatic of this podcast that stories – the good and the bad – are what got us to where we are. We are a sto…

1
How to Save the World - tipping points of social diffusion with Katie Patrick of Hello World Labs 1:18:42

1M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

'If you're not changing the numbers, you're not changing the world.' So says this week's guest, Katie Patrick. Katie Patrick is a Silicon Valley based environmental engineer, climate action designer, and author of How to Save the World: How to Make Changing the World the Greatest Game We've Ever Played, now taught in Harvard University’s graduate p…

1
Bonus: Thoughts from the Edge - If the current system is not fit for purpose, what's our core response? 35:02

1M ago35:02

35:02

Suppose we accept that the current system is not broken - it is doing what it was always designed to do - which is to shovel wealth and power from the many to the few at a human scale and from the more-than-human world to the industrial/technical maw of predatory capitalism at an ecological scale. This is a death cult and it is in its death throes,…

1
Wellbeing: It’s about wholeness, not happiness - with Dr Mark Fabian, author of Beyond Happy 1:48:00

2M ago1:48:00

1:48:00

We grow up thinking we want to be happy (or at least, not-sad). But happiness isn't enough. What we need is wellbeing, and as Dr Mark Fabian quotes in the dedication to his book, Beyond Happy, "Wellbeing is about wholeness, not happiness, and wholeness is so much more demanding than happiness.' So what is wholeness, and what does it demand of us? A…

1
Do Re Mi (from The Sound of Music) 21:49

2M ago21:49

21:49

Let's start about 2/3 of the way through. No, not there. Let's start at the very beginning! A very good place to start. Host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at this very impressive song from Rodgers & Hammerstein. These would be some tough lyrics to write. And what is "do re mi" anyway? And what is a non-rhotic accent, and why does it make the …

1
A Longing for Belonging: Shifting the Cultural Paradigm with Looby Macnamara and Leona Johnson 1:23:58

2M ago1:23:58

1:23:58

If we are in the midst of the Great Derangement (thank you Amitav Ghosh), what tools do we have to help us shape a system that is actually fit for purpose? Who are our elders and what can they teach us? How do we learn to listen to our heart's (and hearts') desire and shape the communities of place, passion and purpose that will allow us to emerge …

1
Now Then! Building networks of citizen power with James Lock of Opus in Sheffield 1:14:32

2M ago1:14:32

1:14:32

We all know the current system of predatory capitalism is not fit for purpose. We don't (yet) all agree on how to fix it, but for sure, no problem is solved from the mindset that created it. So how do we begin to compost the debris of the failing system to grow something constructive, generative, connected communities that can act as a bridge from …

1
Be More Hawk! Being the courage to follow what's right with Rachel Musson of ThoughtBox Education 1:13:58

2M ago1:13:58

1:13:58

The old systems are no longer fit for purpose. What does an education system look like that's fit for the twenty-first century - where we put self care, people care, earth care at the heart of what we do? This week's guest, Rachel Musson, has made it her life's work to fashion ways of learning for all ages that put this Triple Wellbeing principle i…

1
Miraculous Carbon: Celebrating the Book of Life, Death and Potential with author Paul Hawken 1:22:37

2M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

How do we step past the magical thinking of the elites that says we can either use AI to 'Solve for Climate' - or just ignore the entire climate and ecological emergency completely? This week's guest, Paul Hawken, has been at the forefront of intelligent responses to the entire meta-crisis for decades. He has been profiled or written in hundreds of…

1
(Not) Getting Married Today (from Company) 28:54

2M ago28:54

28:54

Pardon me, is everybody here, because if everybody's here I'd like to thank you all for clicking on this podcast. Today, host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at how "Getting Married Today" by Stephen Sondheim works. And boy, does it work (and "werk")! How do you go about writing a great patter song? We even get "David's tips for performing a pa…

1
Authentically human: celebrating the magic of life with Mark McCartney of the 'What is a Good Life' podcast 1:19:37

3M ago1:19:37

1:19:37

In these turbulent times, what values most strongly underpin our humanity and how can we nurture our relationships with all parts of ourselves, with ourselves and other people and with ourselves and the web of life? This week's guest is another podcaster. Mark McCartney is host of the 'What is a Good Life' podcast, which is now into well over 100 e…

1
Seeing the Bigger Picture: psychedelics and sense-making with Alexander Beiner of Kainos 58:41

3M ago58:41

58:41

How do we shed the shackles of modernity and step into a new set of stories that could help us grow into the fullness of our potential? Alexander Beiner is one of a small band of people in our culture who is shaping the cutting edge of possibility, crafting new ideas of who we are, at the deepest levels of our Self and out into the widest view of o…

1
Learn to Read Music in Five Minutes... Kind of (mini episode) 15:48

3M ago15:48

15:48

Actors and singers, today you will learn to read music in five minutes! (Okay, not five minutes, and not totally learn to read music). But writer/composer David Rackoff will give you a foothold in connecting the song you're going to sing to the sheet music with all the dots and lines that you're holding in your hands. It's a place to start. If you …

1
Becoming Spiritual Warriors: exploring a politics of radical Compassion with Jamie Bristow 1:38:01

3M ago1:38:01

1:38:01

In a world of turmoil where the only certainty is uncertainty, what happens if we who yearn for a future we'd be proud to leave behind began really to speak the quiet part out loud? What happens if we acknowledge the meaning crisis of our culture and state clearly that we need a world based on Love: on the raw, wild, wonder of life itself? And what…

1
I'm Still Here (from Follies) 34:26

3M ago34:26

34:26

One of the best songs in any genre in the history of the world ever. Host writer/composer David Rackoff uncovers what makes this song so spectacular. You will have heebie-jeebies for Beebe's Bathysphere. (And you'll find out what all of the crazy references mean!) Stephen Sondheim outdoes himself on this powerful showstopper. Suggest a song to brea…

1
Kin-centric Rewilding 2 - Bonus - continuation of the conversation with Daniel Firth Griffith 54:04

3M ago54:04

54:04

Daniel remains one of the few people I know who is originally of the Trauma Culture but is living absolutely integral to his land - and we couldn't keep our conversation confined to 60 minutes. So we broke at an appropriate point and came back. This is the second part - please do listen to the first if you've only just found us - we literally pause…

1
Kin-centric Rewilding - restoring relationship to the land and ourselves with Daniel Firth Griffith, author of StagTine 1:42:15

3M ago1:42:15

1:42:15

By now we know that we need to connect to the More than Human world. We know we need to grow into adulthood and elder hood. We know we need to move from a Trauma Culture to an Initiation Culture. But knowing these things is not the same as living them as a reality. To get here, we need waymakers, people of huge heart and raw courage to walk away fr…

1
Music or Lyrics: Which Comes First? (mini-episode) 18:36

3M ago18:36

18:36

Get into the nuts and bolts of songwriting with host writer/composer David Rackoff. We look at why songwriters would choose to write the music first. Or why they would choose to write the lyrics first. What are the pros and cons of each approach? And what happens then? How does the sausage get made? Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know…

1
Find the Others! Beyond the Death of Democracy lies Citizen Power - with Jon Alexander of the Citizen Collective 1:17:01

4M ago1:17:01

1:17:01

Democracy is breaking around us in real time and a small percentage of those in power would like us to become - at best - obedient subjects in a world dedicated to the destruction of ecosystems and the annihilation of compassion, empathy and all that makes us thrive. Clearly, we are better than this. So how can we harness the astonishing wonder of …

1
Over at the Frankenstein Place (from The Rocky Horror Show) 18:08

4M ago18:08

18:08

I'm sure you shiver with anticip-- SAY IT! --pation for today's episode. We look at the music, lyrics, and extravagant weirdness of this song, and this show. Host writer/composer David Rackoff also looks at the cultural significance of The Rocky Horror Show. And why does this song beckon to queer high school theater kids so strongly? Get your rice …

1
Of Schoolishness, Space and Emergence into vibrant systems: a joint podcast with Tim Logan of Future Learning Design 1:23:53

4M ago1:23:53

1:23:53

If what our culture most urgently needs is for a critical mass of us to grow into adults and then elders, how can we help our young people to step beyond the artificial boundaries of our old, rigid system into a world where they are fully connected to all parts of themselves, each other and the web of life. How, in effect, can we create an educatio…

1
Laurie Beechman: A Songwriter's Favorite Singer 18:12

4M ago18:12

18:12

This week, writer/composer David Rackoff looks at the amazing Laurie Beechman, and what makes her voice and storytelling so special. If you don't know who she is yet... you're welcome. And if you know, well, then you know. She shone on stage in "Annie", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Cats", "Les Misérables", in solo cabaret shows, …

1
Living through the Death of Democracy: Manda's thoughts on love, liberty and the continued existence of complex life on earth 40:23

4M ago40:23

40:23

We are living through the death of democracy and the onset of Techno-Feudalism. But this is not a time when linear systems can hold and feudalism was nothing if not linear. So how can we be part of a transformative process that will let us lay the foundations for a future we'd be proud to leave behind? Usually, on Accidental Gods, we talk to guests…

1
HeartFood - Healing our communities with Food grown on Regenerative Farms with Erin Martin of FreshRxOK 1:12:03

4M ago1:12:03

1:12:03

What happens when people with chronic, unstable diabetes eat food grown in local, regenerative farms? Erin Martin talks to the Accidental Gods podcast about the dramatic and spectacular improvements in health her group FreshRxOK saw in Oklahoma when they instigated a 'Food as Medicine' programme, offering real food with good nutrient density to dia…

1
Burn (from Hamilton) 27:51

4M ago27:51

27:51

Host writer/composer David Rackoff explains why "Burn" from Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" is actually a happy song. (What?!) We break down the music, lyrics, and performance of what is the "end of Act I" of Act II of "Hamilton" song. We look at how simple building blocks can create a powerful, cathartic, gorgeous theatrical piece. Suggest a song …

1
Radical Creativity: creating a Global Council of Women with Jenny Grettve of EIT Culture and Creativity 1:16:56

4M ago1:16:56

1:16:56

How can we bring wisdom to those with power and power to those with wisdom? If we were to step into elder hood and bring the best of ourselves to the table, could we create governance structures that would help to heal our cultural divides, create equity and guide is wisely through the coming crisis? Jenny Grettve believes we can and has set up a g…

1
The Perfect Scan (mini-episode) 15:31

4M ago15:31

15:31

What's more important than a perfect rhyme? A perfect scan. Every stress in the lyrics must fit with the stresses in the music. This is why (good) musical theater writers stress about stresses. Host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at what that means, how it works, and what it sounds like when it doesn't work. Examples (some good, some not-so-go…

1
The Phoenix Always Rises: Evolving into the Future Human with Prof Chris Bache, Author of LSD and the Mind of the Universe 1:24:31

5M ago1:24:31

1:24:31

This podcast is predicated on the belief that if we all work together, we can still lay the foundations for a future we'd be proud to leave as our legacy. And it's becoming increasingly obvious that this is now urgent; that we need to let go of the assumptions we'd made about career paths or future constructs and give ourselves wholeheartedly to th…

1
Hasa Diga Eebowai (from The Book of Mormon) 27:50

5M ago27:50

27:50

Does it mean, "No worries for the rest of your days"? Kind of... This is one of the most shocking, funniest, and perhaps deepest songs in all of musical theater. The makers of "South Park" have created this delightful bit of blasphemy. Host writer/composer David Rackoff takes a close look at the music, lyrics, and context of this song. And we discu…

1
Democracy Rising: Making 2025 the year we recover from Peak Polarisation with Audrey Tang, Ambassador at Large for a safer, kinder world 1:43:09

5M ago1:43:09

1:43:09

Is it possible that 2024 might have been the year of 'Peak polarisation' around the world and that from hereon in humanity might grow less divided, not more; that we might use technology and social media wisely to bring the best of ourselves to the table, becoming the best we can be in service to life? Audrey Tang certainly thinks so in this wide-d…

1
What Technically Is a Rhyme? (mini pod) 10:06

5M ago10:06

10:06

You think you know what a rhyme is... But do you really? in this first mini-pod, we look at what is (and, more interestingly) what isn't a rhyme. Then host writer/composer David Rackoff plays a game where you have a moment to decide if a particular rhyme is really a rhyme! Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.…

1
Heart of Oak: Talking Druidry, Spirituality and the nature of Magic in the MetaCrisis with Philip Carr-Gomm 1:31:59

5M ago1:31:59

1:31:59

Druidry is the indigenous spirituality of the islands of Britain, but how does is live in the contemporary world? What are the values and practices that make it so suited to the inflexion point of the moment? Why - and how - does it mesh so well with other, more spiritual traditions? And how does the practice of Will, the honing of intent, create t…

1
Seven Generations Perspective Meditation for December 2024 25:46

5M ago25:46

25:46

Traditionally, we have offered a meditation for the solstice - and these are available in the links below. This meditation aims to offer a long-wide-deep perspective on our place as conscious nodes in the web of life - the journey that brought us here and the places humanity may go. Please give yourself plenty of time both to experience the journey…

1
Solstice Cheer: Three Friends uphold a Podcasting Tradition with Della Duncan, Nathalie Nahai and Manda Scott 1:28:58

5M ago1:28:58

1:28:58

This is the fifth year of our traditional Winter Solstice podcast gathering in which Nathalie Nahai of 'In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai, Della Duncan of The Upstream Podcast and I sit around our virtual dark-nights fire to reflect on the podcasting year just gone and explore what has changed for us since the last time we three met in one place.…

1
Part of Your World (from The Little Mermaid) 27:16

5M ago27:16

27:16

Is this the best “I Want” song of all time? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep (sorry) into this fantastic Alan Menkin & Howard Ashman creation. The craftsmanship of this emotional, funny, charming song is quite a remarkable… what’s the word? Oh yeah. Feat. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.…

1
Must Read, Must Listen, Must View: Manda's favourite books, podcasts and videos this Winter Season 28:32

5M ago28:32

28:32

It's that time of year - when all we really want is to curl up and reflect, go inside, become the potential that will arise in the unfolding spring. If you want things to listen to or watch or read as you head into the long-nights, then these are (some of) the things that have caught my attention this year. Enjoy! Books: Non-Fiction Hospicing Moder…

1
The Power of (good) Food with Nick Weir of the Open Food Network 1:18:33

5M ago1:18:33

1:18:33

Clearly we're at an inflection point in the history of humanity. Our experiment with a notional democracy is failing and either we find something that actually works, or we sink into autocracy. And given that the current global flavour of autocracy is in deep denial of the climate and ecological catastrophe that's currently underway, then that's a …

1
Rose's Turn (from Gypsy) 32:49

5M ago32:49

32:49

In our season 1 finale, writer/composer David Rackoff tackles what may be the grandest achievement in musical theater songwriting. "Rose's Turn" is a mad scene, an aria, a showcase for the best musical theater actresses of all time. Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Jerome Robbins created this monster of a song, and we get to dig into it to figure …

1
Avoiding Burn Out, Fall Out, Drop Out (and Freak Out): Practical Routes to a whole, healed future with Dan McTiernan of Earthbound 1:16:35

6M ago1:16:35

1:16:35

How do we become the change we need to see in the world? What are the actual, practical steps to grounding, connecting and resonating with the world? We're on the brink of cataclysmic change. Knowing this, we have choices: we can either fold into despair, terror, rage…whatever rises up in us as we watch the whole biosphere hurtle towards irrevocabl…

1
Sing Along (from Nothing Like Broadway) 33:46

6M ago33:46

33:46

How does a song get written? This is a fascinating episode where writer/composer David Rackoff breaks down his process in writing the song “Sing Along” from the musical “Nothing Like Broadway”. This is a fun, surprising episode where you get to really see how the sausage gets made. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mi…

1
Adaptation is Here: Launching the TrAd (Transformative Adaptation) Book with Rupert Read and Morgan Philips 1:06:23

6M ago1:06:23

1:06:23

We're teetering on the brink of ecosystem and cultural collapse. How do we adapt and transform to the changing realities? This week sees the launch of a new book: Transformative Adaptation: Another world is still just possible. The main editors and contributors are friend of the podcast, author, activist and co-founder of the Climate Majority Proje…

1
One Day More (from Les Misérables) 25:09

6M ago25:09

25:09

One of the great Act I enders of all time, no question. But… are the things sung about all really happening “One Day More”? The answer may surprise you! Host writer/composer David Rackoff picks apart the music, lyrics, and storytelling that make “One Day More” so freakin' awesome. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your min…

1
Holding the Paradox: Navigating a changing world with Andrea Hiott of Making Ways 1:08:22

6M ago1:08:22

1:08:22

We are not going back. But how do we go forward now in a world where the old norms are under assault by people who move fast and break everything? How do we find a place of balance and compassion - for ourselves, each other and the More than Human world - so that we can move forward in a way that isn’t just a replaying of the old binaries? Our worl…

1
Popular (from Wicked) 27:31

6M ago27:31

27:31

We've all got Oz fever, so this week, writer/composer David Rackoff analyzes "Popular" from the musical "Wicked" by Stephen Schwartz. Why is the hook so catchy? Why are the lyrics so mind-blowing? How does this song help to tell the story of "Wicked"? What is enjambment? Were sopranos funny prior to 2003? How about the Kristin Chenoweth of it all? …

1
Being the Best Ancestors we can - with Dr John Izzo of the Elders Action Network 1:20:53

6M ago1:20:53

1:20:53

How do we all respond to the seismic events of the US election? Specifically, how do those of us over 50 respond? (and how would the younger generations like us to respond)? This is the question of now. It would be hard to discuss anything else, but my guest this week is uniquely placed to address these questions. As you'll hear, John Izzo was once…

1
Stars and the Moon (from Songs for a New World) 27:00

6M ago27:00

27:00

Is this the ultimate cabaret song? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep into one of his (and every songwriter's) favorite cabaret songs. Jason Robert Brown's gorgeous, diabolically manipulative "Stars and the Moon" is so much fun to watch, perform, and analyze. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.…

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Podcasts Worth a Listen