When Music Speaks

Laura McPherson
  • 4.8 (5)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Talking drums? Xylophone praises? Flutes that seduce? All around the world, cultures have found ways to communicate using notes and rhythms of music, in what have been called "musical surrogate languages". This podcast explores these incredible traditions and what they can teach us about language, music, and the richness of human culture.

Episodes

  1. 07/27/2025

    Nigeria's musical surrogates, with Dr. Samuel Akinbo

    After a long hiatus, we're back! Here I talk with Dr. Samuel Akinbo of the University of Toronto about a survey we've launched to catalog the diversity of musical surrogate languages found in Nigeria. But we also talk about his journey, how his childhood in Nigeria has shaped his research trajectory, and what it means to do Indigenous science.

    34 min

  2. 03/12/2023

    The Igbo oja past and future, with Gerald Eze

    In our first ever interview on When Music Speaks, I talk with friend and collaborator Gerald Eze. Gerald is a master of the oja, a wind-blown Igbo instrument from Nigeria, whose poetry can praise, warn, and uplift those it addresses. This is a longer episode, but trust me, it's worth it. We talk about the history of the tradition, the challenges it faces in today's Nigeria, its connections to jazz, how Catholic priests are surprising conveyors of traditional art, and what the oja can offer the modern world. To hear more of Gerald's music, follow him on Instragram @officialgeraldeze To see the oja in action, check out Gerald's 2019 interview with the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-49928252

    48 min

  3. 09/27/2022

    Around the world in five traditions

    Just what kinds of musical surrogate languages are out there? What instruments are used? And what are people even saying?  In this episode, I take you around the world in five traditions: Bora slit log drumming in the Amazon, Yoruba talking drums in Nigeria, Hmong mouth organs originally from Southeast Asia, Huli and Wiru jaw harps and mouth bows in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, and finally whistled Spanish in the Canary Islands. This range of instruments and continents provides a glimpse of the diversity of traditions that are out there, as well as common threads that tie them together.

    26 min

  4. 06/27/2022

    Welcome and introduction

    Welcome to When Music Speaks! This short episode introduces the topic of the podcast---musical surrogate languages---and gives you a taste of what you can expect from the podcast.

    9 min
  • 4 Episodes

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Talking drums? Xylophone praises? Flutes that seduce? All around the world, cultures have found ways to communicate using notes and rhythms of music, in what have been called "musical surrogate languages". This podcast explores these incredible traditions and what they can teach us about language, music, and the richness of human culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura McPherson
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 When Music Speaks
  • Show Website
    When Music Speaks