x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Life in Seven Songs

The San Francisco Standard

What songs tell your life story? Host Sophie Bearman asks this question of some of the world’s most fascinating people. Through seven songs, guests reveal the milestones—and the music—that have shaped their lives. New episodes every Tuesday.

society & culture music interviews

All Episodes

36:21

How Damian Woetzel jeté-ed his way from ballet phenom...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/04/29

Damian Woetzel got addicted to dance when he was 11 years old. While his “dirty secret” is that ballet was never that hard for him, his experience as a young boy in the world of dance wasn’t always easy. In this episode, Damian takes us backstage on his remarkable journey from being called “twinkle toes” in high school, to becoming a principal dancer and choreographer for the New York City Ballet, to his influential second act as the president of The Juilliard School and an advocate for arts

en

33:24

Embracing ‘amor prohibido’ with singer David Archuleta

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/04/15

At the age of 16, David Archuleta captured hearts as the runner-up on American Idol. But behind the charismatic performer on stage was a young man struggling to reconcile his Mormon upbringing with his queer identity. In this episode, David shares how he nearly got married to women several times, contemplated suicide, and ultimately let go of everything he’d been taught it meant to be “good.” Here are his songs:Fast Car - Tracy Chapman Amor Prohibido - Selena It’s Okay To Cry - SOPHIE Jireh -

en

32:21

John, Yoko, and a 'beautiful boy': How author David...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/04/01

David Sheff’s memoir Beautiful Boy became a #1 New York Times bestseller and a major film, chronicling his son Nic’s harrowing battle with meth addiction. But before that, David was a music journalist who interviewed legends like John Lennon and Yoko Ono—an encounter that unexpectedly shaped his future as a father. In this episode, David traces how music once brought him joy, then grief—and, ultimately, a way back to his beautiful boy. Here are his songs.Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John

en

30:41

America, the broken? Richard Misrach photographs the...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/03/18

Richard Misrach is one of the most influential photographers of his generation, known for his haunting, large-scale images of the American West. His work captures both the region’s breathtaking beauty and the profound ways humans have altered the landscape. His photographs are housed in the collections of MoMA, the Whitney, and the Getty—but for Misrach, they serve a deeper purpose: creating a historical record. Here are his songs.Angel from Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt Misirlou - Dick Dale & The

en

33:22

Held captive in Iran, Sarah Shourd found solace in a...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/03/04

Journalist, author, and playwright Sarah Shourd shares the songs that helped her though a childhood steeped in violence and poverty, and the 410 days she spent in solitary confinement as a political hostage in Iran. From screaming along to Rage Against the Machine as a teenager to belting out ‘Crazy’ by Seal in her prison cell, Sarah’s always used her voice. Now, she speaks out against the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and mass incarceration. Here are her songs.She’s Got her Ticket

en

39:03

Rufus Wainwright’s rough road to becoming ‘the...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/02/18

Over the last three decades, Rufus Wainwright has released 10 studio albums, written two operas, and countless songs for TV and film. He’s been praised for his originality—Elton John once called him the songwriting GOAT. But in this episode, Rufus explains why having the confidence to be himself was really just about survival. Here are his songs:1. Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland 2. Heart Like a Wheel - Kate & Anna McGarrigle 3. I'm Losing You - Kate & Anna McGarrigle 4. Raspberry Beret -

en

39:09

Inside actor Rita Wilson's other life as a singer

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/02/04

Actor, producer, and director Rita Wilson is known for her performances in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Now and Then.” Her name can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in credits for massive hits like “Mamma Mia!” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” (She's also been married to one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Tom Hanks, for the past 37 years.) But despite her success, Rita spent her entire career dreaming of a different one—to be a singer-songwriter. In this episode, Rita talks about

en

37:16

Director Cord Jefferson on winning an Oscar and...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/01/21

Writer and director Cord Jefferson charts his journey from being a rule-following kid to an angry teenager to an adult with depression. After a lifetime of rejection, Cord shares what helped him finally make "American Fiction," the Oscar-winning film that was always in him. Here are his songs.Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis The What - Notorious B.I.G. (Feat. Method Man) Boxcar - Jawbreaker My Old School - Steely Dan This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads If It Makes You Happy

en

65:50

Introducing Professional Book Nerds: An Interview...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/01/14

On this special episode, we’re featuring a conversation from our friends at the Professional Book Nerds podcast, a podcast from the book nerds at OverDrive. Every week host Joe Skelley chats book recommendations on a theme with his friends and bookish experts, interviews authors and personalities, and encourages people to check out all the amazing resources their library has to offer. Ranked number 5 of the top 100 book podcasts, this is the place for book nerds! In today’s episode, Joe chats

en

33:18

Failing publicly and feeling at home with Nextdoor’s...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2025/01/07

Cofounder and CEO of Nextdoor, Nirav Tolia, looks back on his childhood in small-town Texas, and how an inner conflict about belonging may have led to him creating the first social network for neighbors. With his commitment to building community, it’s no surprise two of his seven songs include the words ‘home’ and ‘house’ in their titles.Take me Home, Country Roads – John Denver The Reflex – Duran Duran World in My Eyes – Depeche Mode Eye of the Tiger – Survivor If My Heart Was a House –

en

32:24

Rock photographer Jay Blakesberg on capturing the...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/12/17

From Nirvana to BB King, The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has been documenting music icons for nearly 40 years. His work has been published in thousands of magazines, documentaries and books, but what he’s most known for is creating a seminal photographic archive of the Grateful Dead. Here are his songs. Hey Jude – The Beatles Black Water – The Doobie Brothers Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills & Nash Eyes of The World – Grateful Dead Born Under Punches

en

35:22

Sandra Bernhard’s ‘risky, beautiful, and...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/12/03

From her groundbreaking role playing one of the first openly gay characters on television, to her iconic appearances on David Letterman — where she repeatedly made the host speechless — actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard has always been unapologetically herself. And yet, decades into her career, she says she still discovers new layers every time she performs. Here are her songs.Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day Stop! In The Name Of Love – The Supremes Like A Rolling Stone –

en

36:59

Chesa Boudin, raised by radicals, on the songs that...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/11/19

Lawyer Chesa Boudin’s professional life has been nearly as tumultuous as his upbringing. He was raised by family friends because his parents—members of the Weather Underground—were incarcerated for crimes committed when he was just 14 months old. Boudin eventually became a progressive San Francisco district attorney representing criminal justice reform. However, he was recalled a few years later. These are his songs.Worlds Apart (1985 Original Broadway Cast) – Daniel Jenkins Fast Car – Tracy

en

32:40

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas on breaking barriers behind...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/11/05

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas spent more than two decades incarcerated before being granted a commutation for his rehabilitation efforts behind bars. He shares how his life was shaped by growing up in Brownsville, “the murder capital of New York,” the music that got him through prison life and what he’s working on now. Here are his songs. Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang Survival of the Fittest – Mobb Deep Do What I Gotta Do – Ralph Tresvant Good Man – India Arie Black – The-Dream Empire

en

35:31

Why Kara Swisher loves country music and the military

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/10/22

Longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs.The Last Great American Dynasty – Taylor Swift Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris

en

39:01

Turns out, Mark Cuban is an emotional guy

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/10/08

Billionaire businessman and investor Mark Cuban is known for making — or crushing — entrepreneurs' dreams on the TV show Shark Tank. But in reality, he's a big softie. Here, he talks about getting his start selling trash bags as a kid, opening a bar before he was even 21, and betting on the Internet early. Here are his seven songs, including his life’s “theme” and a song that brings him to tears. Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry Life’s Been Good – Joe Walsh September – Earth, Wind &

en

38:29

Introducing American Masters: Joseph Gordon-Levitt...

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/10/01

Today we’re sharing an episode of a podcast from our friends at PBS that we think you’ll really like – American Masters: Creative Spark. It’s a show that interviews iconic artists across disciplines about their creative journeys in a way that is sure to inspire listeners. This episode features an interview between host Joe Skinner and Tony Award-winning actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor discusses the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. Whether it’s the recently released Beverly

en

30:30

OpenAI’s Sam Altman: the human behind the machine

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/09/24

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the groundbreaking company leading the development of AGI—artificial general intelligence. AGI aims to create machines that can think, learn, and understand the world like humans—or even better than we can. It’s a concept with the potential to transform every aspect of life, for better or worse. But in this episode, a rare glimpse into the human behind superhuman machine intelligence. Here are his songs. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 – Sviatoslav Richter What’s My

en

30:41

How Rhodessa Jones went from nude dancer to theater icon

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/09/10

Rhodessa Jones is a performance artist who turned her life as a nude dancer into a theatrical revolution. From her days in a San Francisco peep show, where she danced to Prince’s “Soft and Wet,” Jones crafted her provocative experiences into a one-woman show that shook up the theater world. Ever since, she’s used her art to empower a generation of women to share their own stories. Here are her songs. How I Got Over – Mahalia Jackson Cupid – Sam Cooke I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin Mr

en

33:17

How Robert Reich learned to fight bullies

Life in Seven Songs ·

2024/08/27

A giant in the field of politics, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich—who stands just under 5 feet tall—has spent a lifetime fighting for, yes, the little guys. He shares how dealing with grade school bullies prepared him to battle for the middle class. Here are his seven songs.Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers Chain Gang – Sam Cooke Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops Lady Madonna – The Beatles Metaphor – The Fantasticks Suzanne – Judy

en

48 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger