Podcast Picks: Patrick Savage

Can you tell us a little about your own podcast?

I started Many Voices: A World Music Podcast in May 2026, after wanting to get a deeper understanding of the stories and meanings behind the songs my collaborators have been singing in our scientific collaborations, comparing singing and speaking in diverse languages around the globe. Each week I ask a guest who speaks a non-English language to share six of their favourite songs: old and new, happy and sad, songs that make them want to dance and want to sing. I love learning new songs outside of the English ones many of us know and love.

What’s your favourite podcast and why?

I love BBC’s Desert Island Discs, where guests talk about the eight musical discs they’d take with them if they were cast away to a desert island. I love how I can learn about people’s lives through the music that is most meaningful to them.
When do you listen to podcasts?

I used to love reading for pleasure, but got out of the habit between becoming an academic and a parent. I’ve recently got back into it via audiobooks and podcasts, while doing things like commuting, cooking and mountain biking – the uphill climb is a great time to enjoy podcasts and audiobooks, downhill not so much.

Which podcasts in your area of expertise would you recommend to others?

Acoustic World, run by bioacoustics PhD student Marco Maiolini, is excellent for anyone interested in the biology of sound. Even though I have a bit of expertise, there was lots that surprised me. For example, I had no idea how rich the acoustic world of fishes was – and it was great to hear audio examples of famous phenomena like Hoover the talking seal.  

– Interview by Nikki Addison