What is Art For in an Age of Distraction? Matthias Sturm on the Art of Paying Attention

What is Art For in an Age of Distraction? Matthias Sturm on the Art of Paying Attention

Matthias Sturm: Music, Memory, & the Future of Listening What happens to art when attention becomes scarce? In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with East Germany-born, Paris-based composer, songwriter, and visual artist Matthias Sturm for a wide-ranging conversation about music, memory, politics, and the future of creative work. Having grown up in Dresden, in East Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Matthias reflects on life under surveillance, discovering Western music behind the Iron Curtain, and how those experiences continue to shape his songwriting decades later. Along the way, he shares stories of underground cassette culture, punk, jazz, Prince, Depeche Mode, and the surprising ways music crossed political borders. The conversation then turns toward larger questions. What happens when streaming platforms transform artists into “content creators”? Can meaningful music—or any art—survive an attention economy built on distraction? And how should artists respond to artificial intelligence, algorithms, and a culture increasingly driven by speed rather than reflection? Throughout, Matthias argues for something increasingly rare: art that asks us not simply to hear, but to listen. This is a conversation about history, creativity, and why slowing down may be one of the most radical things music can still ask of us. Highlights * Growing up in East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell * Living under surveillance and discovering artistic community * Punk, cassette culture, and youth music behind the Iron Curtain * Why Prince, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode mattered in Dresden * Building concept albums as immersive worlds * The influence of Bach, literature, and “dark songwriting” * Touring internationally while balancing family life * AI, algorithms, and the shrinking attention span * Streaming, independent artists, and the economics of music * Why music should be more than content Music Featured in this Episode: * Peace on Earth * All Beauty Must Die * Puppet Robe Anthem All music used with permission Memorable Moments “How do you create art and music for people who are no longer able to pay attention?” “Imagine you’re born in a country which doesn’t exist anymore.” “I’m not a content creator. I’m an artist.” Connect with the Artist Music is more than entertainment. It is one of humanity’s oldest ways of understanding the world. This episode invites us to slow down long enough to remember why. Follow these links to learn more about Matthias and his work.  Links: * Website: https://www.matthiassturmart.com/ [https://www.matthiassturmart.com/]  * Chateau des Fougis, where Matthias is in residence: https://www.fougis.com [https://www.fougis.com] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MatthiasSturm [https://www.youtube.com/@MatthiasSturm]  * Bandcamp: https://matthiassturm.bandcamp.com/ [https://matthiassturm.bandcamp.com/]  * Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/matthiassturm/ [https://soundcloud.com/matthiassturm/]  * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthias.maria.sturm [https://www.facebook.com/matthias.maria.sturm] About the Show The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion. The Sum of All Wisdom is written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://www.patreon.com/c/ScottCatey]

Re-Enchanting the World through Music: An intimate conversation with Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki (Part 2)

Last time, we asked, “What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience?” and we ended the episode with an invitation to “Close your eyes and listen.” Today we explore what happens when you accept that invitation, when we learn to really listen? What happens when we stop treating music as background noise and begin experiencing it as something capable of changing the way we see—and hear—the world? In the second half of this conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes back vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer and immersive audio producer Michal Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers to explore music as a source of wonder, creativity, and human connection. The conversation begins with Karo’s remarkable journey to Abbey Road Studios, where performing in the legendary Studio Two became not simply a career milestone but a deeply personal encounter with musical history. From there, the discussion ranges across artistic discipline, international collaboration, immersive composition, women in music production, artificial intelligence, and the importance of remaining curious in an age increasingly shaped by algorithms. Throughout the episode, Karo and Michal return to a simple but profound invitation: close your eyes and listen. They argue that music is more than entertainment or content. It is a language that transcends borders, a practice of collaboration, and an opportunity to recover the sense of wonder that modern life so often obscures. The conversation culminates in an unexpected moment as Karo offers an impromptu demonstration of her creative process, building music from breath, voice, and imagination alone—a beautiful reminder that some aspects of music are best understood not through explanation, but through experience.  Highlights • Karo’s life-changing performance at Abbey Road Studios • Why great art still demands patience, discipline, and practice • Supporting the next generation of musicians through “Road to Abbey” • International collaboration as a creative philosophy • The promise—and limitations—of AI in music • Why immersive audio is ultimately about human presence • Improvisation, jazz, and the art of listening • Silence, breath, and space as musical composition • Women in music production and the Music Is Her Name initiative • The role of curiosity in sustaining creativity • A spontaneous live vocal demonstration from Karo Memorable Moments • “Music is human.” • “Practice, practice, practice.” • “Don’t follow the pattern. Just try to find your way of thinking.” • “If people tell you it’s wrong... then you should probably go there.” • “Close your eyes and listen.” • “Practice, practice, practice.” • “Never limit yourself. You are more than you think.” • “Stay creative. Don’t follow any patterns.”   About the Guests Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her performances and productions explore music as a fully immersive artistic experience, combining architecture, movement, and sound. Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of composition, technology, and live performance.  Together they co-founded RED Producers, an international creative production company dedicated to expanding the possibilities of musical experience. Expanded Artist Bio Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence.   Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope. What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength.    On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment.   Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US.    With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska.   Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters.   “She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers https://www.karoglazer.com/about [https://www.karoglazer.com/about] https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic [https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic] https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer [https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer] https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun [https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun]  Featured Music • “Black Sun,” by Karo Glazer • Live vocal improvisation and compositional demonstration by Karo Glazer • “Looking for a Word,” by Karo Glazer All music used with permission.  Resources Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/ [https://professional.dolby.com/music/] Coming Next Week A warm and illuminating conversation with Tom Catmull, an acclaimed Americana songwriter from Missoula, Montana, whose music blends infectious melodies, vivid storytelling, and a deep love of language. Across seven albums and decades of touring, he’s shared stages with artists including Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, and Asleep at the Wheel—always using the songs to lead listeners back to the words.   The Sum of All Wisdom explores music as one of...

Close Your Eyes and Listen: Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki of RED Producers

What happens when music stops being content and becomes an experience? In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Catey welcomes vocalist, composer, and producer Karo Glazer alongside immersive audio producer Michał Rosa-Rosicki of RED Producers. Their story begins decades ago in a recording studio, where a young singer-songwriter and an aspiring sound engineer first crossed paths. Years later, after separate journeys through jazz, composition, production, architecture, and international performance, they reunited to create RED Producers—a creative partnership built on the belief that music is fundamentally human and inherently collaborative. The conversation traces the origins of that partnership, including the creation of “Hand in Hand,” an international peace project launched in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From there, Karo and Michał explore immersive audio, not merely as a technology, but as a new language for musical expression—one that treats space, movement, and presence as compositional tools. Along the way, they challenge assumptions about streaming culture, attention, artistic identity, and the future of listening itself. At the heart of the discussion is a deceptively simple invitation: Close your eyes and listen. In This Episode “You can put twenty microphones around me. It’s still one voice. My voice.” - Karo Glazer Listeners can expect a deep dive into Karo’s current artistic universe — including the upcoming Abbey Road Concert live video session recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios Studio 2. We’ll also talk about “Into The Voice” — an immersive voice experience and live 360 concept exploring the human voice as instrument, space and emotional architecture through immersive audio and performance. And of course, listeners will get an exclusive look into music from the upcoming album #LadyDynamite and “Black Sun” single. • The origins of RED Producers • The Artists for Peace project and the creation of “Hand in Hand” • Why music is fundamentally collaborative • Architecture, composition, and immersive sound • How Dolby Atmos changes the creative process • Listening as participation rather than consumption • The limits of algorithmic music culture • Why surprise still matters in art • Abbey Road Studios and the next chapter of their work • Building an international immersive-audio community • Music, mindfulness, and presence • Human creativity in the age of AI Memorable Moments • “I didn't choose music. I was chosen by music.” • “Music is human.” • “Close your eyes and listen.” • “I don’t care who’s singing. I care about music.” About the Guests Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer, producer, and immersive-audio innovator whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, visual storytelling, and emerging audio technologies. Her projects have brought together artists from across Europe and the United States while exploring new possibilities for musical experience. Michal Rosa-Rosicki is a producer, sound engineer, and immersive-audio specialist whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, composition, and live performance. Together they co-founded RED Producers, a creative production company dedicated to building new forms of musical engagement. Karo Glazer & Michal Rosicki are co-founders of RED Producers, an international production hub. Independent - with infrastructure already in place. Expanded Artist Bio Karo Glazer is a powerhouse voice and immersive vocal artist, composing sonic structure through sound, space and presence. Renowned for her four-octave voice and fearless artistic vision, Karo Glazer creates music that feels both explosive and deeply refined: rebellious, sensual and emotionally charged. Moving fluidly between alternative, jazz, soul and psychedelia, she shapes her own distinctive concept: Immersive Voice. Her transatlantic sound draws from both European and American musical traditions, fusing intricate orchestration, hypnotic rhythm, layered vocal expression and cinematic scope. What emerges is an intense sonic journey through passion, defiance, vulnerability and strength. On May 24, 2025, she made history as the first Polish artist to perform and record a solo concert at Abbey Road Studio 2. She returned to Abbey Road to record an Immersive Voice Live Session; this time solo, surrounded by microphones, pushing further her concept of voice as space, instrument and environment. Her releases have entered the U.S. market, including a debut on the SubModern Charts and a limited vinyl edition for Record Store Day US. With a catalogue of over 300 original compositions, Glazer’s work reaches far beyond a single release cycle. Her earlier career was rooted in the European market, with releases across both independent and major labels, leading to extensive international touring. Working across jazz, contemporary and cross-genre projects, she built a foundation of scale, precision and long-form musical thinking—developing a catalogue ready for sync, film and live expansion. Today, she returns as an independent artist. Not at the beginning, but with an established body of work and full creative control. Her broader creative output includes large-scale works such as “Illumination” - an immersive ballet directed by Bolshoi dancer Alexey Torgunakov—and the score for the theatre play “Wisława”, inspired by Nobel Prize–winning poet Wisława Szymborska. Her work has been recognized by Tom Waits and members of Coldplay at the International Songwriting Competition. She has collaborated with artists including Mike Stern, Klaus Doldinger, Lars Danielsson and John Taylor and worked with Grammy-winning producers such as Flemming Rasmussen and Martin Walters. “She is not a girl. She is dynamite!” - Mike Stern Connect with Karo Glazer & RED Producers https://www.karoglazer.com/about [https://www.karoglazer.com/about] https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic [https://www.youtube.com/@KaroGlazerMusic] https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer [https://www.instagram.com/karoglazer] https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun [https://karoglazer.bandcamp.com/album/black-sun] Coming Next Week Part 2 of this conversation explores Abbey Road Studios, women in music production, international collaboration, navigating the modern music industry, and the future of artistic creation in an AI-driven world. Resources Dolby Atmos Official Site - https://professional.dolby.com/music/ [https://professional.dolby.com/music/] ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://www.patreon.com/c/ScottCatey]

Finding Music in the Unexpected: A Conversation with Jeff Tripoli

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey sits down with percussionist, composer, educator, and sonic explorer Jeff Tripoli for a conversation that moves far beyond the drum kit. What happens when a drummer stops thinking like a drummer? Drawing inspiration from artists like Harry Partch, Butch Norton, John Bergamo, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and countless musical traditions from around the world, Jeff has built a creative practice centered on curiosity, experimentation, and deep listening. His latest album, Natural Habitat, transforms birdsong, footsteps, washing machines, field recordings, hand percussion, and invented instruments into immersive sonic landscapes that blur the line between music and environment. Together, Scott and Jeff explore: * How mentorship has shaped Jeff’s artistic journey * The influence of Harry Partch and invented instruments * Why imperfection often creates the most memorable art * The role of field recordings and environmental sound in composition * Creativity, chance, and “happy accidents” * David Bowie’s cut-up techniques and rhythmic poetry * Touring internationally with Celtic folk-rock band The Town Pants * The future of drumming in an age of social media and AI * Why musicians must remain lifelong students Along the way, Jeff demonstrates several of his handmade percussion inventions, discusses the philosophy behind his “contraption kit,” and shares why he believes the most important lesson for any artist is simple: “Listen and serve the music.” This is a conversation about sound, experimentation, humility, and discovering wisdom in places most of us overlook. About Jeff Tripoli Jeff Tripoli is a drummer, percussionist, educator, composer, and recording artist based in Syracuse, New York. A veteran of international touring with The Town Pants, Jeff’s work spans rock, Celtic music, world percussion, experimental composition, and handcrafted instrument design. His recent solo releases, Perspectives and Natural Habitat, explore the intersection of percussion, found sound, improvisation, and sonic storytelling. Connect with Jeff ·      Website: https://jefftripolidrums.com/home [https://jefftripolidrums.com/home]  ·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jefftripolidrums [https://www.youtube.com/@jefftripolidrums]  ·      Bandcamp: https://jefftripoli.bandcamp.com/ [https://jefftripoli.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jeff-tripoli/1565681196 [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jeff-tripoli/1565681196]  ·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefftripolidrums [https://www.facebook.com/jefftripolidrums]  ·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefftripolidrums/ [https://www.instagram.com/jefftripolidrums/]    Explore Related Music and Sounds  Links to musicians, bands, books, and more mentioned in the episode: ·      Billy Martin https://www.billymartin.net/ [https://www.billymartin.net/]  ·      Butch Norton https://butchdrums.com/ [https://butchdrums.com/]  ·      Charles Corey https://www.charlescorey.com/ [https://www.charlescorey.com/]  ·      Earl Slick https://earlslick.net/ [https://earlslick.net/]  ·      Glenn Kotche  https://www.glennkotche.com/ [https://www.glennkotche.com/]  ·      Harry Partch https://www.harrypartch.com/ [https://www.harrypartch.com/]  ·      Jeff Moleski | Mole Trax Studios https://rockwellrecordingandsoundstage.com/ [https://rockwellrecordingandsoundstage.com/]  ·      Jim Donovan https://www.youtube.com/jmdbird [https://www.youtube.com/jmdbird]  ·      John Bergamo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bergamo [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bergamo]  ·      Kalani Das https://kalanimusic.com/ [https://kalanimusic.com/]  ·      Medeski, Martin, and Wood https://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/ [https://www.medeskimartinandwood.com/]  ·      Ray McNamara https://raymcnamara.com/ [https://raymcnamara.com/]  ·      Rick Rubin | The Creative Act (Penguin) https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact [https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact]  ·      Rusted Root https://www.rustedroot.com/ [https://www.rustedroot.com/]  ·      Ted Gioia | The Honest Brokerhttps://www.honest-broker.com/ [https://www.honest-broker.com/]    Featured Music  “Something I Can’t Explain” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli Used with permission. “Afro Cant” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli Used with permission. “A Stone From Your Heart” from the album Natural Habitat by Jeff Tripoli Used with permission. All music is used with permission. All rights remain with the respective rights holders. About the Show The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes explorations of listening, craft, and lived experience, and discovery of new music.  Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, please consider liking, commenting, following, subscribing, and sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life.  Thanks for turning us on! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://www.patreon.com/c/ScottCatey]

Architecting Atmosphere & the Luminous Darkness of Sound: A Conversation with Matthijs Kouw

“How would you like to spend some time with music that can reconfigure what you think about yourself, about music, and about space and time?”  In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott reconnects with Dutch experimental composer and sound artist Matthijs Kouw for a deep conversation about sound, space, philosophy, and the spiritual possibilities of composing, experiencing, and listening to music.  Together, they explore what “experimental music” really means—not as a genre, but as a position: an openness to uncertainty, emergence, and the unknown. Matthijs reflects on the role of indeterminacy in composition, the architecture of sound, and the idea that music can create spaces for listeners to inhabit rather than narratives to consume.  The conversation ranges widely across: * Experimental music as process and experiment  * Drone music, atmosphere, and “dwelling” in sound  * The influence of thinkers like Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Gilbert Simondon  * Time, emergence, and metastability in musical composition  * Negative theology and the limits of language  * Field recordings, contact microphones, and environmental sound  * Why cassettes still matter  * The politics of music distribution and alternatives to Spotify  * Music as communion, meditation, and philosophical inquiry  A central thread throughout the discussion is the idea that music can carry us beyond language—toward experiences that resist direct explanation yet remain deeply human and emotionally real.  Matthijs also discusses several of his recent works, including: * Transversal  * Meta-Stabilities  * Obscurum per Obscurius  * The collaborative project Irradiance with Gagi Petrovic  Memorable Moments “Maybe the orchestra is not a set of instruments, but the entire world.”  “It’s more like creating spaces for people to dwell in.”  “Maybe the soundscape is populated by beautiful birdsong and leaf blowers simultaneously.” About Matthijs Kouw Matthijs Kouw is an experimental musician based in The Netherlands exploring the relationship between movement and stasis. Using analog synthesis, software, field recordings, and recordings of various objects, Matthijs combines long-form drone with elements from acousmatic music, noise, and microsound. Links: * Website: https://clinamen.nl/about/ [https://clinamen.nl/about/] * Bandcamp: https://clinamen.bandcamp.com/ [https://clinamen.bandcamp.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvkouw/ [https://www.instagram.com/mvkouw/] Explore Related Music and Sound Compositions  Links to musicians, labels, and record stores mentioned in the episode: ·      Alan Lamb: https://room40.bandcamp.com/ [https://room40.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Gagi Petrovic: https://gagipetrovic.com/ [https://gagipetrovic.com/]  ·      Groupe de Recherche Musical (GRM): https://inagrm.com/fr [https://inagrm.com/fr]  ·      Important Drone Records: https://importantdronerecords.bandcamp.com/music [https://importantdronerecords.bandcamp.com/music]  ·      Important Records: https://importantrecords.com/ [https://importantrecords.com/]  ·      Marc Namblard: https://marcnamblard.bandcamp.com/ [https://marcnamblard.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Masami Akita/Merzbow: https://www.instagram.com/merzbowofficial/ [https://www.instagram.com/merzbowofficial/]  ·      Moving Furniture Records: https://movingfurniturerecords.com/ [https://movingfurniturerecords.com/]  ·      Phil Maguire: https://philmaguire.bandcamp.com/ [https://philmaguire.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Radboud Mens: https://radboudmens.bandcamp.com/ [https://radboudmens.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Sietse van Erve: https://orphax.com/about/ [https://orphax.com/about/]  ·      Staalplaat: https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/ [https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Tashiya Tsunoda: https://toshiyatsunoda.bandcamp.com/ [https://toshiyatsunoda.bandcamp.com/]  ·      Waaghals Records Store: https://www.waaghals.com/ [https://www.waaghals.com/]  Featured Music  This episode includes excerpts from: * “Irradiance”  * “Metastability 3,” from Meta-Stabilities * “Asymptotic,” from Transversal All music by Matthijs Kouw and used with permission. About the Show The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Musicians, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and music-adjacent professionals whose work creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and lived experience over promotion. Written, produced, and hosted by Scott Catey. If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://www.patreon.com/c/ScottCatey]