SongWriter is a multimedia creative project made by Ben Arthur. It's a storytelling laboratory where human experiences become music, and music becomes a way of understanding ourselves.
Basic idea: an author or storyteller shares a story, and a songwriter shares a song written in response. In-depth interviews with the artists – and sometimes with scientists or other thought leaders – add depth and meaning.
The Stories
Stories in SongWriter have strong emotional stakes, which helps the songwriter. Sometimes the story is fiction, as in an episode with George Saunders reading his celebrated short story, "Tenth of December." Other times the story is true, as in an episode from last seasonabout love in the shadow of the Rwandan genocide. A few episodes have even been based around poems, as in an episode with Kaveh Akbar + Jamila Woods.
The Songs
Songs are written specifically in response to the story; this is not just two works on a theme. Usually the song is brand new, though a few episodes featured songs that were already composed in response to a story, like an episode with Polly Samson + David Gilmour. Songwriters are always given the story weeks before an episode is recorded, and have as much time as they need to write.
Formats
SongWriter is a podcast, but it is also a live performance series, articles in Paste Magazine, segments on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe, and occasionally television episodes produced with partners like KQED and Blueridge PBS, as in this episode with Susan Orlean + Diana Gameros.
Collaborations
Since 2024 SongWriter has been supported by grants from Templeton World Charity Foundation. Episodes in the last two seasons focused on the science of human flourishing, including subjects like forgiveness, empathy, caregiving, AI, and polarization, and include the perspective of scientists on their related research.
SongWriter is a very flexible format, and our team is actively seeking partnerships and opportunities to explore other subjects over time.
In 2026, excerpts from SongWriter will be included in a research project led by Columbia neuroscientist Dr. Meghan Meyer (whose work is featured in this episode) investigating how artistic storytelling may enhance scientific learning. The SongWriter creative methodology is also being adapted by three international teams in Brazil, Turkey, and The Bahamas to explore locally relevant stories and issues.