Best Stephen Ruiz Podcasts (2025)

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Labor Day: Lainie Fefferman and Jascha Narveson 34:08

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9M ago34:08

34:08

I head back to university teaching tomorrow—and I know many teachers and students who are already back at it. In honor of this back-to-school season, here's an episode on a wild and wonderful song by New-York-based composers Lainie Fefferman and Jascha Narveson. In addition to composing a wide variety of music as individual artists, they are part o…

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Frosty in Desire: William Shakespeare and Rodrigo Ruiz 29:32

10M ago29:32

29:32

On September 27, 2024, Signum Records will release a recording of Rodrigo Ruiz's cycle of seventeen songs, Venus & Adonis, based on William Shakespeare's poem of the same name. In this episode, I dive into one of my favorite songs from the cycle, where Venus takes Adonis's hand and entreats him to open his heart to her. For more information about R…

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Alleluia: Nathaniel Bellows and Sarah Kirkland Snider 39:57

10M ago39:57

39:57

The Mass for the Endangered, by Nathaniel Bellows and Sarah Kirkland Snider, appeals not to God but to nature itself and (in Snider's words) takes the "musical modes of spiritual contemplation" associated with the Latin mass and applies them to "concern for non-human life—animals, plants, and the environment." The third movement of the Mass, "Allel…

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You're the One: Rhiannon Giddens 30:43

2y ago30:43

30:43

The title track from Rhiannon Giddens's recent album You're the One—which was just released by Nonesuch Records—is a love song, but not one about two adults; it's about a moment Giddens experienced with her newborn son, pressing her cheek against his and realizing that her world would never be the same again. In this episode I reference a book by M…

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Songe (Dream): Maurice Bouchor and Mel Bonis 33:39

2y ago33:39

33:39

Have you ever felt as though a single moment—gazing into someone's eyes, listening to a passage of music, looking at a landscape—transports you to another realm? Maurice Bouchor's poem is about just this kind of experience, an experience that the French composer Mel Bonis transforms into a magical sound world that deftly blends Romanticism and Impr…

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In Fountain Court: Arthur Symons and Elizabeth Maconchy 28:52

2y ago28:52

28:52

Arthur Symons's poem captures a lazy June afternoon, with a fountain burbling and the moon hanging in the sky, waiting for the coming of night. Elizabeth Maconchy transforms the poem into a song of mesmerizing stillness and beauty. The episode features a world-premiere recording by soprano Joanna Songi and pianist Matthew Fletcher, based on an unpu…

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Resevwa Li (Receive Them): A Haitian Hymn Reimagined by Nathalie Joachim 33:39

2+ y ago33:39

33:39

The Haitian-American composer Nathalie Joachim transforms a Haitian hymn, and in so doing creates a multi-layered tapestry of sound that evokes the many voices of Haiti—past, present, and future. "Resevwa Li" comes from Joachim's Grammy-nominated 2019 album Fanm d'Ayiti (New Amsterdam Records), featuring the Spektral Quartet. Resevwa Li Men n’ap pr…

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One by One: Connie Converse 38:14

2+ y ago38:14

38:14

Connie Converse was one of the first singer-songwriters, an uncommon talent who predated Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. But she was barely known in her day, and after making a handful of low-fi recordings in the 1950s, she disappeared in 1974. Her songs weren't widely known until some of those low-fi recordings were released on CD in 2009. This episode l…

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Letzter Wunsch (Last Wish): Julius Sturm and Marie von Kehler 28:06

2+ y ago28:06

28:06

We know very little about the German composer Marie von Kehler (1822–1882), who served as a "lady in waiting" to a princess and seems to have been acquainted with Johannes Brahms. But we do know that she wrote over eighty songs that were published over a decade after her death—none of which had ever been recorded until Stephan Loges and Jocelyn Fre…

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Firmament: Carolyn Forché and Caroline Shaw 36:24

2+ y ago36:24

36:24

Carolyn Forché's 46-page poem "On Earth" forms the basis for a song cycle called The Blue Hour, which was composed by five women—Caroline Shaw, Shara Nova, Rachel Grimes, Angelica Negrón, and Sarah Kirkland Snider—and just released on CD this month by Nonesuch and New Amsterdam Records. This episode looks at one of Caroline Shaw's contributions to …

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12. Pierce Salguero | Buddhism and Medicine 1:08:25

2+ y ago1:08:25

1:08:25

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Pierce Salguero about his beginnings as a scholar of Buddhism and medicine, his time studying traditional Thai medicine, what counts as Buddhist medicine, and why Buddhism and medicine have always been intertwined. He shares recent work with students documenting the thriving and diverse Buddhist medicine cultures …

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Nous nous aimerons tant (We Will Love Each Other So Much): Francis Jammes and Lili Boulanger 33:45

3y ago33:45

33:45

Francis Jammes's poem depicts two lovers who sit on a bench, alone together under the shade of overhanging branches. But it's not clear if the scene is real or imaginary. In her setting of the text, Lili Boulanger heightens the poem's sense of mystery—and also the poetic speaker's anxiety that the blissful moment may only be a figment of his imagin…

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Afterglow: Thomas Walsh and Mary Turner Salter 21:01

3y ago21:01

21:01

Thomas Walsh's poem and Mary Turner Salter's setting of it capture the moment between day and night—and the desire to linger in that moment as long as possible. The episode features the first-ever recording of Mary Turner Salter's "Afterglow," performed by soprano Camille Ortiz and pianist Gustavo Castro and engineered by Joseph Wenda. I commission…

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11. Rebecca Bloom | How Art Challenges and Enriches Understandings of Buddhism 1:01:58

3y ago1:01:58

1:01:58

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Rebecca Bloom about her beginnings as a scholar and curator of Himalayan Buddhist art history, the meaning of "art" in a Buddhist context, and why she thinks studying art history is valuable for people interested in Buddhism. She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how museum curators organize exhibitions, and …

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10. Stephen Jenkins | Understanding the Role of Compassion in Buddhism 1:11:22

3y ago1:11:22

1:11:22

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stephen Jenkins about his beginnings as a scholar of Buddhism, his research on the place of compassion in Buddhism, and how he thinks this fundamental idea has been overlooked in many contemporary discussions of Buddhism. Plus, we discuss the relation between compassion and wisdom, the role of imagination in Buddh…

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9. Daniel Cozort | Should Buddhists Care About Climate Change? 1:24:59

3y ago1:24:59

1:24:59

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Daniel Cozort about his path to Buddhist Studies, research on Buddhist philosophy, and adventures in Buddhist ethics. We discuss the question of whether and how Buddhists might address contemporary issues like climate change. Are these topics that Buddhists should be concerned about? How have Buddhists in the past…

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8. Aleix Ruiz-Falqués | Studying Pali, the Language of the Earliest Buddhist Canon 1:14:23

3y ago1:14:23

1:14:23

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Aleix Ruiz-Falqués about his beginnings as a scholar of Pali, his research into Pali grammar, and how reading Buddhist texts in original languages can help us appreciate them in a new way. We discuss common questions about Pali, such as: what are the differences between Pali and Sanskrit? Did the Buddha speak Pali…

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7. Geoff Barstow | Thinking with Animals in Buddhism 1:15:33

3+ y ago1:15:33

1:15:33

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Geoff Barstow about his beginnings as a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, the complicated status of animals in Buddhism, his research into the history of vegetarianism in Tibet, and how thinking with animals can help us see the world in a new way. We discuss common questions about Buddhism and animals, such as: what di…

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6. Jue Liang | Gender in Buddhist Theory and Practice 59:29

3+ y ago59:29

59:29

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jue Liang about her beginnings as a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, the life of the Tibetan saint Yeshe Tsogyal, and the broader topic of women in Buddhism. How should we think about the place of women in Buddhist philosophy, narrative, and practice? How do scholars attempt to recover the lives of women who are often…

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5. Connie Kassor | History and Philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism 1:20:44

3+ y ago1:20:44

1:20:44

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Constance Kassor about her beginnings as a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, different Tibetan interpretations of emptiness, and how studying history sheds light on philosophy and practice. Plus, we chat about some of our favorite books, articles, and other resources for learning more about Tibetan Buddhism! We also pr…

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The River: Nathaniel Bellows and Sarah Kirkland Snider 29:23

3+ y ago29:23

29:23

Nathaniel Bellows’ poem and Sarah Kirkland Snider's haunting setting of it—from her song cycle Unremembered—revisit the site of a childhood trauma and meditate on innocence and the mechanisms of memory. The performance of the song features vocalists Padma Newsome, DM Stith, and Shara Worden, and the Unremembered Orchestra (members of ACME, Alarm Wi…

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4. Maria Heim | Learning How to Read Buddhist Texts with Buddhaghosa 1:02:42

3+ y ago1:02:42

1:02:42

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Maria Heim about her beginnings as a scholar of classical South Asia, the role of commentaries in Buddhism, and the importance of emotions to the Buddhist path. We also preview her upcoming online course, BSO 202 | Visuddhimagga: The Path of Purification, which will focus on this important Theravada text written b…

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Room in Brooklyn/A Gradual Dazzle: Anne Carson and Caroline Shaw 29:27

4y ago29:27

29:27

Anne Carson's poem and Caroline Shaw's mesmerizing setting of it meditate on the feeling of being in and out of time. The recording of the song, which appears on the album Let The Soil Play Its Simple Part (Nonesuch, 2021), features Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion (Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, and Jason Treuting).…

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3. Jay L. Garfield | Buddhist Ethics and the Bodhicaryāvatāra 1:23:25

4y ago1:23:25

1:23:25

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jay L. Garfield about his unconventional path to Buddhist Studies, the importance of multicultural philosophy, how philosophy can enrich Buddhist practice, and preview his upcoming online course, BSO 201 | Bodhicaryāvatāra: How to Lead an Awakened Life, which will focus on this important Mahayana text written by Ś…

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Sag, wo ist dein schönes Liebchen (Tell Me, Where is Your Beautiful Sweetheart): Heinrich Heine and Rodrigo Ruiz 26:46

4y ago26:46

26:46

The 21st-century Mexican composer Rodrigo Ruiz sets a text by the 19th-century German writer Heinrich Heine. In so doing, Ruiz channels 19th-century musical style and offers a deeply moving interpretation of a poem about the loss of love and the death of an artistic tradition that Heine once held dear. The performance of the song features soprano G…

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2. Karin Meyers | Buddhist Philosophy and Ecological Activism 1:15:09

4y ago1:15:09

1:15:09

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Karin Meyers about her path to Buddhist Studies, her experiences teaching Buddhist Studies in the US and Nepal, how she relates the study of Buddhist philosophy to contemporary engagement with social issues, and how she stays motivated to tackle the ecological crisis. We also preview her upcoming online course, BS…

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Strawberry Man: Kendra Preston Leonard and Lisa Neher 21:43

4y ago21:43

21:43

Kendra Preston Leonard's poem and Lisa Neher's song—about a man who sells fresh fruit on a summer day—celebrate something sumptuous where we would least expect it. The performance of the song is by Arwen Myers, who is also featured in a previous episode about a song by Florence Price. Be sure to check out other collaborations by Kendra Preston Leon…

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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening: Robert Frost and Margaret Bonds 28:07

4y ago28:07

28:07

Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is one of the most famous poems in the English language, and it has been set to music by many composers. This episode explores an extraordinarily inventive setting by the Black American composer Margaret Bonds (1913–1972), recently recorded by bass-baritone Justin Hopkins and pianist Jeanne-Mine…

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To My Little Son: Julia Johnson Davis and Florence Price 22:08

4y ago22:08

22:08

In Julia Johnson Davis's poem "To My Little Son," a mother imagines what her baby boy will look like when he's twenty-one years old, and wonders whether, when he's grown up, she'll see glimmers of the boy in the man. Thinking of her own son, Florence Price turned to Davis's poem and created a song that is nuanced, affecting, and deeply personal. Th…

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1. Daniel Stuart | The History of Buddhist Meditation 1:30:32

4y ago1:30:32

1:30:32

In this first episode, we speak with Dr. Daniel M. Stuart about his path to Buddhist Studies, different academic approaches to studying Buddhism, how meditation might drive new ideas in the history of Buddhism, differences and continuities in meditation practices across Buddhist history, and preview his upcoming online course, BSO 102 | Buddhist Me…

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The Buddhist Studies Podcast Trailer 1:29

4y ago1:29

1:29

Welcome to The Buddhist Studies Podcast, a new channel dedicated to exploring the depths of Buddhist Studies. This Podcast will feature candid conversations and interviews with scholars of Buddhism across the disciplines of Religious Studies, Indology, Art History, South Asian Studies, Anthropology, and more. Hosted by Dr. Kate Hartmann.…

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Scheideblick (Parting Glance): Nikolaus Lenau and Josephine Lang 22:37

4y ago22:37

22:37

In Nikolaus Lenau's poem "Scheideblick" (Parting Glance) a man leaves his beloved and, as he departs, imagines sinking his happiness into the ocean. Josephine's Lang's setting of the poem evokes the ebb and flow of the sea, and also the ebb and flow of the emotions associated with it. For more on Josephine Lang, see Harald and Sharon Krebs's book J…

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Branch by Branch: Edna St. Vincent Millay and H. Leslie Adams 23:28

4y ago23:28

23:28

The protagonist in Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem looks upon a tree that has died and wonders what caused it to wither. She stands apart from the scene, awed and perplexed, but at a crucial moment enters the scene and takes a decisive action. In H. Leslie Adams's song, that action seems even more decisive—and even more brutal. The recording of "Bra…

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Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou and Farayi Malek 33:35

4y ago33:35

33:35

Maya Angelou's poem "Phenomenal Woman" tells women that they don't have to conform to conventional ideas of femininity. Farayi Malek uses her voice to amplify Angelou's, and to lift up the voices of other women who at times struggle to feel comfortable in their own skin—and who deserve to feel phenomenal just as they are. The recording of "Phenomen…

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Welcome to Resounding Verse 3:29

4y ago3:29

3:29

Announcing a new podcast about poetry and song. Join music theorist Stephen Rodgers as he explores how composers transform words into songs. Each episode discusses one poem and one musical setting of it. The music is diverse—covering a variety of styles and time periods, and focusing on composers from underrepresented groups—and the tone is accessi…

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E.P. 12 - Diversity and Community in a Pandemic 25:50

5y ago25:50

25:50

The 2020 pandemic has fundamentally altered most everyone’s lives across the globe. In this episode, we talk about the impact of pandemic on diverse populations. We talk about the wake up call of the pandemic to be proactive in working on environmental concerns, what role self-care plays in maintaining mental health, and we examine the idea of buil…

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Fury vs Wilder 2 53:22

5+ y ago53:22

53:22

The heavyweight rematch between Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder. Also comparisons and officiating.

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Ep. 11 - Your Art, #OscarsSoWhite2020, #DemocratsSoWhite: How to incorporate your art, appreciate attempts at diversity in the Oscars, and WTF Democrats? 17:51

5+ y ago17:51

17:51

The UX of Diversity podcast is back. Today we're combining the production of the podcast with the “Experience Mornings" video program, by doing a live recording of the podcast and video at the same time. Today we talk about how to find connections in your personal creative work with your business, Diversity of the Oscars 2020, and the huge Diversit…

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MMA,Boxing, and other miscellaneous rants! 57:42

5+ y ago57:42

57:42

We discuss MMA, boxing, and other miscellaneous sports. Family and sports and cultures.

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Super LIV and Rogan vs Stephen A. 50:07

5+ y ago50:07

50:07

Our take on Super Bowl 54 and the controversy and "beef" between Joe Rogan and Stephen A. Smith, with a side of boxing.

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Episode 2. US Mens & Womans Football(soccer) and miscellaneous sports. 44:31

6y ago44:31

44:31

Dos Pistoleros on The United States Men & Womans nation soccer teams. Also miscellaneous sports coverage.

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Dos Pistoleros episode 1. Ruiz vs Joshua 38:04

6y ago38:04

38:04

First episode of new podcast team duo Dos Pistoleros. Reaction to first Mexican Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz jr.

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Ep. 10 - #OscarsSoWhite 2019: Looking at Diversity in Hollywood & it's Overlap with Tech 21:16

6+ y ago21:16

21:16

With the so much of the buzz around the diverse line-up of contenders at this year's Oscars, we try to unpack what it all means. Stephen Ruiz does a deep dive into the compelling "Hollywood Diversity Report," authored by Dr. Darnell Hunt, Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, and Michael Tran of UCLA's College of Social Sciences. He looks at the numbers, and ta…

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THC Design PotCast - Episode 2: Talking with Jairia Pass 14:49

6+ y ago14:49

14:49

In our second episode, Stephen Ruiz and Kelly Nuñez sit down with Jairia Pass, THC Design’s Co-Founder and Head of Sales. Jairia shares her experience in the early days of the company, talks about her journey to California, and gives us insight into her YouTube cultivation education series “Grow Girl.” This lady-boss is breaking industry stereotype…

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THC Design PotCast - Episode 1: Welcome to the THC Design Podcast 5:18

6+ y ago5:18

5:18

In our first episode Stephen Ruiz and Kelly Nuñez welcome you to our community where we talk all things cannabis. In addition to introducing ourselves, we will be talking about some of the amazing guests we'll be interviewing in future episodes. Join us as we take you the behind the scenes into the world of this dynamic industry.…

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Ep. 9 - Diversity in Tech: Pandora's Mixtape Diversity Panel 53:40

7y ago53:40

53:40

Today we jump into the "way-back machine" and go to October 2017 when Stephen was a guest on Pandora's Mixtape Panel on Diversity in Tech for Hispanic Heritage Month. In this episode we take a deep-dive into what it means to be an "other" in tech, and how you can navigate this space, thrive in your career and not be distracted by the negative force…

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Ep. 8 The UX of Caregiving Part 1 12:50

7y ago12:50

12:50

In another of the "on the 10" recording of our podcast, I delve into my personal experience with being a caregiver after my mother had a stroke. I talk about why there is a lack of digital tools to help manage the process of helping a loved one experience a health crisis. This will be a multi-part series.…

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Ep. 7 Institutional Racism, Depth of Experience, & Imposters 27:57

7y ago27:57

27:57

In this episode, Stephen interviews Darren Hood, Professor at Kent State University and Experience Design Lead at Ryder Systems. We talk about institutional racism, depth of experience in the field vs. new UXer's coming out of bootcamps, and how to navigate the UX/tech world at a minority.

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Ep. 6 - Empathy, Intersectionality, and Meditation 17:15

7y ago17:15

17:15

Today we bid farewell to Sheana, happy trails! Stephen Ruiz talks podcasting while driving in LA "on the 10," and working with StartEngine, iRobot, and Dogtown Media. Also, we delve into Empathy, Intersectionality and Mediation, with some special shout-outs to Headspace, Against the Stream and a few individuals who help make it all tick!…

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Ep. 5 Accessibility in UX Design with Kat Richards 20:58

7y ago20:58

20:58

Today with talk with Kat Richards, of Hoffman York, about Accessibility in UX Design, an the importance of being inclusive in the process.