Ben Garnett: Crafting Acoustic Beauty on Kite's Keep
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
11/29/25
•67m
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Guitarist Ben Garnett has released a beautiful new album, Kite’s Keep, and this episode features clips and insights from the project. The record includes collaborations with acoustic music greats familiar to listeners of this podcast, including Darol Anger and Brittany Haas. Ben’s mentor, Chris Eldridge of the Punch Brothers, also appears, and Ben discusses the wisdom he’s gained from other influential musicians in his life, among them his cousin, acclaimed rock guitarist Andy Timmons, the brilliant Julian Lage, and bandleader Missy Raines. He also talks about how playing tuba was helpful, and how he immersed himself in a range of musical styles—studying jazz in university before finding his way into Nashville’s acoustic bluegrass scene.
Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on many podcast platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript. It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Have a look at the show notes of this episode, where you’ll find all the links, including different ways to support this podcast! In the show notes I"ve also linked other episodes which I think may interest you: with Darol Anger, Brittany Haas, Marc van Vugt, Tal Yahalom and Alisa Rose
Complete Show Notes with ALL LINKS!
(00:00) Intro
(01:57) Kite’s Keep album, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, clip Look Again
(06:59) Darol Anger, clip Tell Me About You
(10:07) album cover, photo by Emilio Mesa
(11:35) tuba, music education
(13:43) Andy Timmons
(19:11) Julian Lage
(24:25) Chris Eldridge, producing 1st album Imitation Fields, clip of Post Office Prodigies
(29:09) Julian Lage, Chris “Critter” Eldridge
(34:20) other linked episodes and ways to support this project
(35:09) jazz, Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Ethan Jodziewicz, clip of The Clockmaker
(40:33) love of movies, Bluegrass, Missy Raines
(51:13) touring strategies, Ben’s guitars
(56:25) Celia Hill, clip A Place for the In Between, Matt Glassmeyer
(01:00:14) teaching, clip the end of Somewhere Near Hope, next projects
photo: Natia Cinco
Previous Episode
Yolanda Bruno Celebrates Jeanne Lamon: The Story Behind Dear Jeanne
November 22, 2025
•71m
Canadian violinist Yolanda Bruno spoke to me about her new album Dear Jeanne and her film The Immortal Serafin, which both honour the late Jeanne Lamon, the renowned baroque violinist, and Music Director of Tafelmusik for 34 years. Yolanda explains how she explores the story of Jeanne’s 1759 Santo Serafin baroque violin, which was generously loaned to Yolanda for one year. You’ll hear a few clips from the album, including Jeanne’s masterful string trio arrangement of Bach’s iconic Ciaccona, as well as a taste of a Leclair duo with Julia Wedman, another important mentor for Yolanda, and a work by Beth Silver honouring Jeanne’s Dutch-Jewish heritage.
Yolanda reflects on what it means to live more sustainably with her partner, the accordionist Michael Bridge, who was previously featured on this podcast. She shared how her her annual project Music for Your Blues has impacted her life, as well as a very memorable experience performing in a high-security penitentiary, which taught her about connection and dignity, and the value of live music. I also wanted to shine a light on Yolanda’s brilliant first ablum, The Wild Swans, featuring 11 women composers, recorded with pianist Isabelle David. You’ll hear short excerpts by Lera Auerbach and Kelly-Marie Murphy. We end the episode with Yolanda’s insights about avoiding burnout by achieving balance in her life using the idea of longer cycles of time, which I loved.
Complete Show Notes with All the Links!
photo: Curtis Perry
(00:00) Intro
(02:34) Dear Jeanne and her film The Immortal Serafin, Jeanne Lamon, Tafelmusik
(12:25) Jeanne’s arrangement of Bach Ciaconna with clip (Yolanda with Julia Wedman, Christina Mahler - J.S. Bach Ciaccona from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004
(15:46) film The Immortal Serafin, living more sustainably and mindfully, Michael Bridge
(24:39) the process of buying the Serafin, Jaak Liivoya, Bill Monical
(30:56) how Yolanda started playing baroque violin, meeting Jeanne
(34:41) clip of Jean-Marie Leclair Sonata for Two Violins in D Major, Op. 3, No. 3, ii. Allegro, lessons with Julia Wedman
(38:00) other linked episodes and ways to support this series
(38:50) Leclair, Beth Silver, Jeanne Lamon’s Dutch-Jewish heritage
(44:16) musical family, The Wild Swans album, Lera Auerbach with clip Lera Auerbach - 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano, op. 46: No. 9 in E Major (Allegro)
(51:38) Kelly Marie-Murphy The Swan Parapraxis with clip Kelly-Marie Murphy - The Swan Parapraxis, Carmen Bruno cello The Wild Swans album, Katherine Dowling
(55:22) Music for Your Blues, reading, memorable concerts
(01:02:37) performing for incarcerated audience in a penitentiary, Jean Rohe, Diane Schoemperlen
(01:07:04) studying in England, balancing life in annual cycles
Next Episode
Lara St. John on Empowerment and the Making of Dear Lara
December 6, 2025
•62m
Violinist Lara St. John joins me to discuss her upcoming documentary Dear Lara, her remarkable career, and her ongoing work to ensure a safe and inclusive music community . Lara’s creativity, warmth, humour and brilliance come through in this wide-ranging interview and you’ll hear about her decision to become the first classical soloist to start her own record label, her formative year in the former USSR, advice about learning music and the violin, and a tribute to one of her main mentors, Joey Corpus. In fact Joey’s amazing story wasn’t one I was familiar with and since this conversation I’ve learned more about this inspiring pedagogue. We talked about two of her many albums, and you’ll hear a couple of clips from Shiksa and She/Her/Hers; track names are in the timestamps and everything is linked to Lara’s website in the show notes. Lara is also known for her love for iguanas, and at the very beginning of this episode you’ll get to meet Baby Octavius!
Trigger warning: Please note that there are detailed timestamps below, so you can go to specific parts of this interview; there are mentions of both sexual assault and a suicide attempt
Complete Show Notes with linked episodes, newsletter, podcast merch and more!
Varaiuni Bar Fight video on Lara's channel
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Timestamps: (00:00) Intro with mention of sexual abuse (trigger warning) (03:10) meeting the Caribbean iguana Baby Octavius (04:59) Order of Canada, meeting other celebrities for Canadian Thanksgiving (06:28) the story of Moishe the violin, klezmer (09:48) about album Shiksa with clip from The Pain Will Find Us (14:17) “Dear Lara” film, trigger warning mention of rape (27:16) changing perspectives on her career (32:27) other linked episodes and supporting this podcast (33:16) perspectives on children in music, competitions (35:36) U.S.S.R. experience (38:18) her record label Ancalogon, album She/Her/Hers women composers with clip of Ana Sokolović Danza 2 (42:55) adjusting repertoire, Gabriela Lena Frank with clip of Luciérnagas (46:40) clip of video Variaiuni Bar Fight from Shiksa, linked in show notes (47:54) first trip to Peru, brief reference to suicide attempt (49:16) Marlboro, Felix Galimir (53:06) Joey Corpus violin pedagogue, portato problems, final reflections on film making and career direction
photo: Titolayo Ayangade
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