The Gould Standard

A conversational podcast about the arts, culture, and contemporary society.

We talk with artistic heroes working to create a more inclusive and mindful world, hear their incredible stories, and get to know what makes them tick. Our guests are leaders in a wide range of fields, nationalities, and lived experience, including musical composers and performers, painters, poets, filmmakers, actors, dancers, broadcasters, and more.

Melanie Doane – The Pop Star leading a Music Education Revolution

The Gould Standard

Melanie Doane – The Pop Star leading a Music Education Revolution

00:00 / 01:26:42

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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="VeGbyfT53C"><a href="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/melanie-doane-the-pop-star-leading-a-music-education-revolution/">Melanie Doane – The Pop Star leading a Music Education Revolution</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/melanie-doane-the-pop-star-leading-a-music-education-revolution/embed/#?secret=VeGbyfT53C" width="500" height="350" title="“Melanie Doane – The Pop Star leading a Music Education Revolution” — Glenn Gould Foundation" data-secret="VeGbyfT53C" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.glenngould.ca/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script>

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 01:26:42 | Recorded on October 22, 2026
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What happens when a Juno Award-winning pop star discovers that her greatest calling might be helping others make music? Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor Melanie Doane joins host Brian Levine for a spirited conversation about artistic ambition, the changing music industry, and why every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of making music….
Alexander Neef – Opera: Intimidating or Essential?

The Gould Standard

Alexander Neef – Opera: Intimidating or Essential?

00:00 / 00:57:05

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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="kjhL0FP2IH"><a href="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/alexander-neef-opera-intimidating-or-essential/">Alexander Neef – Opera: Intimidating or Essential?</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/alexander-neef-opera-intimidating-or-essential/embed/#?secret=kjhL0FP2IH" width="500" height="350" title="“Alexander Neef – Opera: Intimidating or Essential?” — Glenn Gould Foundation" data-secret="kjhL0FP2IH" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.glenngould.ca/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script>

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 00:57:05 | Recorded on April 30, 2026
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In this episode of The Gould Standard, Alexander Neef, General Director of the Opéra national de Paris, joins Brian Levine to reframe how we think about opera, and to provide a user-friendly on-ramp for opera-curious newcomers. Beginning with its roots in Renaissance Italy, Neef traces opera’s evolution from courtly entertainment to a global cultural force,…
Chris Levine – Finding the Light

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Chris Levine – Finding the Light

00:00 / 01:24:51

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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="J6cOztYHKc"><a href="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/chris-levine-finding-the-light/">Chris Levine – Finding the Light</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.glenngould.ca/podcast/chris-levine-finding-the-light/embed/#?secret=J6cOztYHKc" width="500" height="350" title="“Chris Levine – Finding the Light” — Glenn Gould Foundation" data-secret="J6cOztYHKc" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.glenngould.ca/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script>

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 01:24:51 | Recorded on March 27, 2026
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Artist Chris Levine takes listeners inside the cutting edge of portraiture, where art, science, and spirituality come together. From the technical challenges of holography, where even microscopic vibrations can ruin an image, to pioneering image making that led to his iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Levine reveals how precision and intuition shape his work. He recounts the surreal experience of photographing the Queen, the pressure of reimagining one of the most depicted figures in history, and how a second sitting unlocked the now famous Equanimity image. The conversation then turns to Elton John, exploring their creative collaboration, Levine’s contributions to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the challenge of capturing both the performer’s flamboyance and inner stillness. Blending innovation with introspection, Levine reflects on art as a path to healing, the power of light, and how moments of stillness can reveal something profoundly human beneath the surface.